Awake and Alive
by Raven-of-Moraea
Summary: From cruel Golden Eagles to thuggish bats, Adina is desperate to leave her old home behind her. But fate has something planned for the Black Racer. And what does the town of Dirt and an old legend have to do with it? Rattlesnake Jake/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Quite recently, (i'm terribly late, I admit) I saw the movie 'Rango' and really enjoyed it, as well as the characters and story. I've decided to give a fanfiction for it a try. If I manage to continue through it, it _will _be rated M for later chapters (not for violence, either), but for now i'm keeping it as T. I hope you enjoy this first chapter (as short as it may be) and tell me what you think. I'm going to try my best to not make Adina too...I can't think of a way to describe it. Mary-sue-ish, I suppose? Though it might already be too late for that. I just don't want her to sound like she was created by a fangirlish tween who's added her own personality into the character, as well as the other characters from the movie a bit. I apologize ahead of time if anyone is OOC. Hey, I was only able to watch the movie twice before my OnDemand order ran out and i'm still waiting for my dvd to be mailed in. Well...anyway, I hope someone finds this enjoyable. This is really more of a prologue than a real chapter, though, given the length.**

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><p>The sun was less than merciful on this particular afternoon in the desert. But then again…expecting the opposite seemed less than an appropriate normality. The loud pop of a tire sounded loudly amongst the highway of speeding cars, and a large truck pulled off to the side of the beaten road, which was nearly steaming from the rays of heat glaring down.<p>

"Dammit, Eddy!" snapped the less than pleased man sitting in the passenger's seat of the large vehicle. "I finally take a break after drivin' fer…the good Lord knows _how _long, and there you go poppin' good tires that're worth more than we make in a day's work!" The older man brushed off a couple of stray French fries laying on his once white shirt before taking off his hat and itching his head.

"Ain't _my_ fault, Earl! Whaddya want me to do, tell ever'one to keep the highway clean?" the second, slightly younger man retorted, turning the key in the ignition to shut off the engine.

"Noooo…what I want ya teh _do _is hop inta the back and get out the goddamned _spare _I made you bring with us just in case ya _screwed_ up." Earl barked, rolling up a magazine laying under his seat and whacking the other over the head with it. "Well go on! Hop to it!"

The younger man scowled and grumbled as he snatched the magazine from his hand and opened his door, gagging briefly as he attempted to hop out before undoing his seatbelt. He sent Earl a glower when a snicker had sounded from his direction before yanking the belt off in a huff and getting out into the blistering heat. He made sure to slam the door extra loud before walking to the back of the truck.

"Ey! Don't slam the damn door like 'at, this ain't our truck!" Earl shouted after him.

Eddy merely rolled his hazel eyes, mumbling curses and insults before undoing the hitch and opening the back door. Climbing in and pushing his way past boxes, he finally saw the spare tire he'd been looking for laying against one of the corners in the back. "There ya are, baby girl." he set his hands on the tire and pulled it towards him. "Let's put you to some good…." the young man paused when he noticed something dark curled up just behind the tire. Pulling it away more, his brows rose at the length of smooth, black scales coiled up comfortably on the floor. Blinking, he reached into one of the boxes near him quietly and pulled out a golf club. Drawing the end of it closer, he nudged the form a few times, and received a long, smooth hiss in response. His brows rose higher. "Snake!" he scrambled back and leapt from the back of the truck. "Earl, get yer knife ready! There's a huge snake in the truck!"

The snake rose its head and blinked its bright green eyes after the young man in surprise. At the word 'knife' it recoiled a bit before slithering quickly towards the open door. "I suppose that's my cue to get out and find another ride…" she mumbled to herself, dropping down onto the hot pavement and hissing in discomfort at the intense heat. Reptile or not, this wasn't the climate she was familiar with back in Virginia. Her chin and underbelly were white, but the rest of her scales were a jet black. She was a Northern Black Racer, which wasn't normally a native to the Mojave Desert. In truth, she wasn't all too pleased with the destination fate had chosen to drop her off in. Who was she to complain, however? She needed to get away from her last home, and she had. She hadn't thought to choose _where_, she just thought to choose _how_ and _when_.

The sound of car doors shutting, along with a mixture of voices snapped her from her thoughts as she turned to look back at the truck for a moment before slithering off the side of the road and into the desert. She hid beneath some brush and gazed at the two humans for a bit, being the curious snake that she sometimes was.

"There ain't no snake back here, boy!" Earl griped from the back of the truck as Eddy stood outside, a safe distance away, scratching his brunette head. The slightly overweight elder inched back and grunted as he slid out of the truck, holding a sharp hunting knife in one hand and the spare tire in the other. "You's seein' things!"

"But I swear! There was a snake sittin' in the back! A _big _one! Long as you!" the boy exclaimed.

_Hardly_, the snake thought to herself, raising a scaly brow at the younger human. She was only about a foot shorter. Barely a few inches over four feet in length.

"Quit yer yappin' and get this thing secured and ready." Earl spat, throwing the tire into the boy's less than waiting arms, making him fumble in a clumsy way to catch it. "We gotta be in the next city by sundown." the older man closed the back of the truck and lumbered to the passenger side door once more, leaving poor Eddy to look around in wonder and bewilderment, obviously not knowing where the snake had gotten off to.

_City? _The snake thought again. That wouldn't do. Too many humans, which was one species she could do without. She hated being driven to bite, but not as much as she hated being poked, prodded, manhandled, shot at, and whatever it was humans liked to do to her kind. There were two choices for her at that current moment, and they were to either follow the road, or take a chance in the desert. She hadn't had much to eat or drink within the last couple of days, and started to figure she could at least find a few fat bugs in the desert. Sighing through her nostrils slowly, she looked from the road to the dry horizon unsurely, wondering if leaving her last home had been the better choice. Either way, her life could have been cut short.

"I think the best choice for you right now lies within the desert, my friend." A soft-spoken, yet gravelly voice spoke up from behind her, making her turn.

Blinking at her plainly with a tired smile was a somewhat elderly armadillo, holding a staff in one hand and wearing a slightly worn hat on his head. She tilted her head at him curiously, glancing around briefly before looking back at him. "The desert..." she rose an eye ridge slightly. "Are you…sure on that?"

The armadillo's smile widened slightly as he offered a slow nod.

Slithering closer, not lowering her brow, she tilted her head the other way. "If you don't mind my asking…who are you?"

"Names are not as important as some may think. My father went for years not knowing the names of his friends and neighbors, but that did not stop them from helping one another out when times got rough." He flicked one of his ears to ward off a small fly. "But if you are more comfortable with having something to call me, you may address me as Roadkill."

The snake blinked. "Huh. Well…Roadkill it is then." the corner of her mouth twitched briefly in a slight smile. "Why are you trying to help me?"

"You have not given me a reason not to." he shrugged. "Not that a reason is needed." he pointed his staff towards the desert. "If you head that way, within the day you should find a town."

The snake looked in the direction he was pointing for a moment, then looked back at him. "A town? Way out there?" her mind buzzed as new questions began to form and prod at her. _Aren't there dangers? Predators? Should I even trust this stranger? _The poor girl was clueless. "What about you? Are you coming as well?"

"No." was his simple reply. He didn't give her a reason.

Blinking, looking a bit confused and unsure once again, she looked back towards the desert and slowly slithered towards it, averting her eyes to the old armadillo once again. "Thank you." she offered, though the tone in her voice was odd. She looked forward again and started to move at a more casual pace.

"Safe journey, miss Adina. The rains will be here soon enough. And do not worry. You made the right choice. Remember that." he called after her.

She rose her brows a bit and stopped. She looked back. "How did you know my…?" The armadillo was nowhere to be seen. She looked around, in every direction, and even reared up her body to see farther into the distance. Still, she could find no trace of him. "Name…" she lowered herself again, looking down at the dry ground for a minute in wonder before slowly turning and continuing on her way, hoping that there was some truth to Roadkill's words. _That better have not just been the hunger and heat playing tricks on my mind…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, here we go. And in case anyone is wondering, there's a reason behind Adina's fleeing from her last home. It's not just a fear of being eaten by a predator. There are animals just about everywhere that could make a meal out of her, but she did something to get on the bad side of one particular animal, who is now a widow after a successful attempt by Adina to defend herself.**

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><p>It had been at least an hour since Adina had escaped from the truck, and her particularly empty stomach was finally starting to trouble her. She hadn't eaten much in a little over a week in the least. The last thing she had consumed, which was three days ago, was a minuscule little spider, who was a bit too far into his own age to really even taste like anything, or even be considered a meal. He was a kindly old spider, but his time had been limited anyway. Normally, she would not have even considered eating him at all, but his age and illness made him persistent in the idea. She had needed something in her stomach, and it would be doing him a favor. Or so he had said. She still felt terribly guilty about the action to which she had given into, and had spent the entire evening afterwards hoping he would forgive her for it. She wondered about him now as she slithered along the hot, sandy earth. Passing rocks, cacti, sand, dried brush, and even more sand. She wondered if he would still be alive if she hadn't agreed to his suggestion. Wondered if he would have come with her into this blistering hellhole of a place, or stayed within the darkness of the truck where he lived. In a way, she missed him terribly. She was lonely to begin with, and his company had been well appreciated during the first, more enjoyable days of her trip. She began to feel more regret than before now. Began to miss him all the more as she looked around and studied the vast, seemingly lifeless new surroundings.<p>

"Perhaps this is a lesson to be learned from the old phrase, 'you shouldn't talk to strangers.'..." she thought aloud, thinking back to the old armadillo. She hadn't detected in the slightest way that he had lied to her, however. Perhaps he was crazy from the heat? No, she didn't think so. He had been very contented around her, and showed no reason for anyone to indicate him as daft or insane. Eccentric, perhaps, but nothing negative. She sighed softly to herself. It was too early to be thinking this way just yet. She had only been moving for an hour, and if old Roadkill was right, she still had a bit of a long way ahead of her.

Her tongue flitted briefly from her parching mouth, tasting the dry air, smelling for any signs of life. She detected none.

She was alone.

Another hour passed. She continued on. The air was humid, but the sky showed no signs of the "rains" Roadkill had mentioned as she left. _That _in the least was one thing she allowed herself to doubt. Rain would have been a blessing at that point, but she was never known to be that lucky. She liked being near water. Her black scales were absorbing the heat of the sun like a sponge might to moisture. She hissed lowly in slight irritation at the fact and wished she had hatched with lighter colors, even if it wasn't by much. It still may have provided some relief.

A small tweet to her left shook her from her thoughts. She looked over and spotted a cricket sitting on a rock nearby, completely oblivious to her as it cleaned its legs and antennae. Adina lowered herself a bit as her pupils turned to smaller slits briefly. Quietly gliding closer, she opened her mouth a little as she prepared to strike. The cricket seemed to stiffen.

In a flash of black, with a sharp hiss, she lashed out and clamped her jaws shut. It took her a few seconds to realize that it had only been air she had caught. Looking around, flicking her tongue a bit, she caught sight of the cricket bounding away as fast as its legs could carry it. It was going in the same direction that she was, so she held on to the fleeting hope that she would come across it, perhaps even another, as she made her way further East.

The fact she hadn't been able to catch it bothered her slightly. She was getting slower, which meant she was probably getting weaker. Weak seemed far from what one needed to be to survive out here. The only thing she could do now was hope that she found the town before something else found her.

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><p>The air became cooler, but was still rather humid once night began to fall. Clouds gathering in the distance blocked out the sun before it could fully set over the distant horizon. Adina knew for sure now that Roadkill had, in fact, been right. It was going to rain soon. The thought both relieved and troubled her. She would have a chance to cool down and even get a drink with the rain, but with darkness settling in, she couldn't help but fear it might make her journey a bit more difficult and hazardous.<p>

The first droplet that hit her warm, smooth back extinguished some of the more unnerving possibilities and had her waiting in anticipation for more. Another droplet finally hit. Then another. And another. So good. So _relieving_. She welcomed it blissfully as it came down harder and more frequently. "Mmm..." Her eyes fluttered closed for a minute as her tongue slid from her mouth and stayed there, hoping to catch a few small laps before having to search for a puddle, or even a rock where the precious liquid she so needily craved would be dribbling down.

After drinking nearly a full sip, she sighed and started to slither through the much cooler, softer dirt, leaving a curvy trail behind her.

The rain came down harder now, and it was much darker than before. The sun must have set by now, and her older fears were starting to sink in again. Sight was already becoming more of a difficulty now. She squinted briefly and quickened her pace, forgetting the fact she was still thirsty for the time being. Perhaps now was the time to find some shelter.

Shaking water from her head, she lifted her body up straight in the air once more, like she had when she first arrived. She looked hard as she slowly rotated her body, searching every direction carefully. To the southeast, she could see a boulder silhouetted darkly against the sky. At the base of said boulder was a faint, but detectable glow, possibly from a fire due to the orange color.

Quickly she lowered herself and slithered towards it. Within a few moments, she was close enough to see a narrow opening at the base, leading down underneath the large rock. Carefully, she tasted the air as she slowed down before it. There was a fire, yes, but she also detected something else. Something...cooking?

Sliding her head in, she looked around. Sure enough, a fire had been lit on the ground beneath, which was about a three foot drop, but she could see a well dug tunnel in the back corner, which seemed to go so far she could see no end to it. There was another smell in the air as well. One that was unfamiliar to her and made her somewhat nervous.

Despite the warning signals her instincts were sending her, she glided inside and dropped down to the dusty ground. The heat from the fire, which didn't look like it had been tended to for a while, was a surprising relief to her more than cooled down body. It surprised her immensely how the weather in this area could change so drastically within mere hours. After all, it hadn't been too long ago that she had been wishing for wetness and cooler temperatures. Now she was desperate to be dry. She circled the fire briefly before remembering she was still thirsty. With a weary sigh, she went over to the wall she had just dropped down and raised part of her body upright again, opening her mouth and drinking a small, cold stream of water dribbling from the ceiling. It was enough to take a small edge off of her hunger as well.

Speaking of which, she would have to search for any trace of what smelled so good when she was finished. A growing shadow forming behind her made her pause, however, and it was then that she felt the considerably larger presence looming behind her.

"Well, well...what do we have here?" came a low, Southern drawled voice from behind. Before she could turn to see who it was, she found herself trapped in strong, and extremely tight coils. Somewhere within said coils, the feel of leather and iron brushed against her skin. She hissed sharply in a defensive way out of habit and did her best to keep from striking out and biting the figure in fears of angering him. Her head shot up and her green eyes locked with a pair of red and gold serpentine orbs, seemingly alight with hellfire.

She felt ice in her belly from just his gaze alone. He was a snake, she knew that, but the simple observation alone wasn't what frightened her most. She didn't dare glimpse at the rest of him, but kept staring into the eyes which seemed to be burning into her very soul. His tongue slipped out of, then back into his mouth, nearly touching her snout as he sampled the air around her, his hard gaze not faltering, and his vice grip tightening. After a minute, he managed a thin, crooked grin, his eyes narrowing all the more.

"Looks like someone wandered a bit too far from home." he rumbled, tongue flitting out again briefly. "You taste and _reek_ of fear, girl." he mused wickedly, enjoying the fact. His tail rattled as it glided slowly past her face. It was just then that she dared to glance away from his eyes, raising her brows very slightly at the sight of the gatling gun attached there.

His grin widened when he noticed. "What? You frightened by this old thing?" he chuckled briefly, pressing the end almost too gently against her chin and throat. "It's perfectly harmless...when it ain't loaded." his coils tightened even more around her, making her gasp slightly to catch her breath. "Didn't y'all know that trespassin's a crime 'round these parts? Some folk don't take too kindly to it. Ain't got no manners where yer from it seems."

"P-please..." she managed to rasp calmly, now _refusing _to meet his gaze again. "I meant no offense by it. J-just needed some shelter is all, from the-"

He hissed loudly in her face to silence her as he bared his fangs, which were glistening with venom. "Did I _ask _for a damned _reason_, woman!" he snarled, grip tightening more. "_Answer _me!"

"N-no..." her voice was quiet.

"_Louder!_" he snapped. "And _look _at me when I speak teh you!"

She looked at him, eyes wider and almost pleading. She spoke in a higher tone this time, though the lack of air she was currently receiving in her lungs was making the job difficult. "N-no. No you didn't." she emitted a choked cough, feeling a bit lighter in the head than before.

"That's right, baby girl. Now...I suggest ya give me a damn good reason why I should not strangle any remainin' life from ya and make ya my next meal." he hissed again, but quieter and longer, amusement no longer an expression on his cold face.

Adina's mind was racing. What could she consider a good reason for a person like _him _to not kill her?

"I-I..." she began to stammer, starting to feel even more faint as panic started to settle in.

"Well?" he barked, growing more impatient. "You got a reason on yer mind, girl, then _say _it!" His grip tightened more.

He was fading out of vision. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a small, hoarse sound came out. With a gaspy, short breath, her body became less tense and went more limp. His hellish stare was the last thing she could make out before everything went black.

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><p>Smoke. Fire.<p>

They were the first words in Adina's head and smells in her nose as she started to come to. Her body was a bit sore and stiff, and she moaned briefly in her throat. The sound was quiet enough, but it was also sound enough to cause something nearby to stir. She began to remember the events from before she slipped into unconsciousness and stiffened completely, afraid to even breathe as she remained curled up in the warm dirt. The fact she was still alive was a wonder to her, but it wasn't something she dared question yet. She could feel he was still there. Smell he was, too. The icy feeling returned, and she kept still as a stone upon realizing he was staring at her. A moment soon passed, then five. Silence. Another two minutes. Then finally-

"Reckon even if I stared at ya fer an eternity, ya still wouldn't move an inch." he grunted, making her flinch. "Get up. No sense in just pretendin'. I ain't as hollow-minded as ya think." he spat.

Opening one eye, then the other, she could tell it was morning from the sunlight pouring into the cave-like dwelling. She glanced at him nervously as she raised her head. He was coiled up near the opposite side of the wall, head and neck raised. His eyes peered out from underneath his black hat as he lifted his head with hers.

She didn't have the words to speak at the moment. Too petrified to just yet. She looked around a little. Not that her surroundings interested her, she was just desperate to find something else to turn her attention to. Finally she settled on the crevice above, where she had entered the previous night before. She stared at the small patch of blue sky visible.

He rose a brow at her slightly. "I didn't kill ya when you was out, girl. No sense in thinking I will right this second." he rumbled, leaning towards the fire and picking something up off of a slab of rock in front with his tongue. He hissed as he brought a cooked cricket into his mouth and ate it slowly, savoring its hot juices and crispy insides.

Adina glanced at him when she heard the crunch of the cricket's body, feigning disinterest as she looked away again, ignoring the bubbling hunger in her own empty stomach.

Being the sly rattlesnake he was, Jake smirked to himself when he caught on. Leaning in again, he took another cricket for himself and bit down harder onto its body, the louder crunch it made sounding teasing and just all the more tempting. He licked away any taste that lingered on his fangs and lips, and wondered how long it would be until she bucked up the courage to admit she wanted something to eat for herself. Perhaps she would even starve before that, which would only result in providing him with a larger, more appetizing meal.

She was still staring at the patch of sky. Ten minutes nearly passed, and Jake was just about to eat the last of his crickets before he heard her speak. It was rather quiet, almost submissive and calm, but he still heard it.

"I'm sorry."

"Wha?" he rose his head and looked at her, narrowing his eyes a bit, confused. He then snorted, "Sorry... Hm. What you apologizin' for, girl?"

"Unless nearly killing me isn't a display of irritation with me, I must have done something to anger you the way I did last night." she looked at him again briefly with her eyes, not moving her head.

He rolled his eyes, looking at the fire. "You ain't dead or hurt. If I was you I would just leave it at that an' be grateful." He picked up the cricket in his teeth and tossed it to her. "Eat it. Hell only knows how far you'd go to make a point."

Hesitating a moment, but glad he gave it to her, she delicately, yet quickly picked it up in her mouth and devoured it hungrily. It wasn't exactly filling, but it was something in the least. She looked at him again. "Thank you."

He let out an empty, somewhat haughty laugh. "First yer sorry, then yer grateful." He shook his head. "Never understood you females fully, and I don't think I ever want to."

He turned and started to slither towards the tunnel. "If yer done wastin' my time, you'd best be gettin' along now. Town's not too far off from here."

She blinked. He was letting her go? Just like that? One part of her was tempted to ask why while another wanted to whip her tail so hard enough across his cheek it would leave a mark, especially after what he put her through last night. She didn't give in to temptation this time, finding it probably wiser that way, and simply nodded her head a few times, stupidly. He was already half way into the tunnel by then.

Shaking her head with a sigh, she slithered to the front wall and lifted her body up, starting to venture out into the hot sun.

"Oh..." Jake stopped, gliding out from the tunnel again, features somewhat dark. "One more thing..." he rose his tail and shot a warning bullet just past her head to get her attention, nearly scaring her so bad she fell back inside. He lowered his head and voice. "You tell anyone in that pathetic excuse of a town where I am...and you'll be wishin' I _had _eaten ya when I had the chance to. Understood?"

Taking a few seconds to shake off the shock caused by the shot, she finally nodded and slithered off quickly without a word. Only when she was a safe distance away did she glance back at the rock for a moment, wondering what exactly had just happened. Blinking, she finally turned and headed in the direction he said the town was in, hoping she would receive at least a slightly warmer welcome there than she had last night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, my DVD finally came today. I was able to rewatch the movie once (thought it was with the director's commentary...) before getting the urge to type. I just discovered that 'Dirt' has been renamed 'Mud' and they have their own little lake or beach now. This opens up some new ideas for small scenes. And we have a new character being introduced in this chapter. He's Adina's 'Spirit Guide' in a sense, but he's more of a...ghost really. I came up with him and a whole band of other characters associated with him while listening to 'Ghost Riders In The Sky' by Spiderbait. They're like a gang of damned, undead animals called the Devil's Angels. "Too wicked for Heaven, too just for Hell." is how their leader describes them. One huge inspiration for the particular character in this chapter is Sam Elliott, just so you know. His voice fits, in my mind.**

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><p>Adina's mind lingered on the devilish rattler as she slithered away from the rock dwelling. She could still feel his eyes piercing into her own, and his rough, scaly coils squeezing her body to nearly the edge of its limit. She shuddered briefly with an audible hiss in remembrance. None of it even seemed real to her now that she was back to slithering through the hot sand and dirt. Now it seemed like she had just dreamt up the entire thing. Though as much as she wished she had, she knew she had not. It had been real. The danger had been real. <em>He <em>had been real. And part of it terrified her. It was the same feeling she'd had when she had first hidden away in the truck. The feeling of escaping death. She hated it with a passion, and had been hoping to avoid it for a while in the least. For all of this, she disliked the rattlesnake a bit.

Trying to shake the thoughts away, she sighed with a somewhat flat look and carried on. "Almost might have been charming if he wasn't crazy..."

"Crazy?" mused an older voice through a light, fleeting chuckle. "I wouldn't assume that much about 'im just yet."

Raising a brow, Adina turned towards it and noticed a large cow skull resting in the shade of a cactus nearby, picked clean some time in the past by buzzards and insects. Sitting on top of the skull, coiled up and examining a piece of gold wrapped within a section of his tail was another rattlesnake. This one was larger than the one she had run into earlier, and the first thing about him she noticed was he was an albino. Most of his scales were clean and white with light yellowish, almost beige colored diamond shapes down his back. There was something strange about him, though. His eyes were bright and intelligent looking, almost gold in color. He was old, that much she knew. Long, clean, silver hair dangled from his chin in a neat braid, held in place by a black bead, and a white western styled hat rested on his head. His tail was a normal rattle, much to Adina's relief, which calmed her slightly.

"Oh...Forgive me. Are you...friends with him, sir?" she asked, offering a light, somewhat sheepish grin, hoping she hadn't said the wrong thing and wishing she had said it more quietly.

Spitting off to the side and looking at her finally, he offered a kindly, entertained sort of grin. "Who, Jake?" he shook his head with a chuckle. "No, no. I can't say I am."

Tilting her head, she dared to venture a bit closer. "You know him though, it seems."

"He's known by many, if not all in this desert." He said, looking back at the golden nugget in his coils. "Don't you go worryin' 'bout 'im, though, he's just a bit crabby is all. He won't hurt ya."

She did all she could to refrain from scoffing. "I'm afraid you have the crabby part right, but i'm not so sure about that last bit. How can you be so certain?"

"You don't bother him, he won't bother you. Usually. Recent events have gotten 'im thinkin' lately. You weren't in any real danger last night. Be thankful you crossed paths with him now and not weeks ago."

"Though i'm more thankful I lived to actually..." Adina rose her brow again, pausing. "Wait, how did you know I-?"

"You ask alotta questions." he interrupted curiously, looking at her and raising a scaly brow of his own. "Been a while since you had a proper conversation with someone, am I right?"

She looked to the side awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head and neck with the end of her tail, responding quietly as she looked at him with her emerald eyes. "You could say that...yes."

"Hmm." his look softened more as he slunk from off the top of the skull and into the sunlight, towering over her slightly. "It's a mighty shame then. You seem like a nice enough girl. I know for a fact, however, that yer kind ain't known to these parts. So if it's alright, I got a question fer _you_." he curled up comfortably and tilted his head with a funny smirk. "What're you doin' way out here?"

Clearing her throat softly, she glanced away again. "No particular reason..."

He leaned in with a shrewd look, but not in the least bit cruel or threatening way. His expression seemed...concerned. "Come now, youngin'. We both know that ain't the answer i'm lookin' fer." he said softly. "Why would you risk everythin' just to end up out here?"

She didn't answer. He waited a few minutes.

"...Ya think runnin's the answer, amigo? Ya can't escape from fate, no matter where ya go." he finally said, his look more sympathetic.

She recoiled, backing up a little. "You seem to know much more about me than you originally let on... Not to seem rude, but...why should I respond if you already..._somehow _know the answer to your own question?"

His look didn't falter much, but became heavier. "...It wasn't yer fault. You acted on instinct, and out of defense. That wretched old eagle's tyranny is over. You done did many in yer home a kindness." he straightened up a bit. "It's okay teh feel frightened...but don't you dare feel ashamed."

She closed her eyes, sighing slowly through her nose, looking a bit pained. "How you know all of this...I wish to find out myself. But not before I say that...I don't regret what happened. I'm afraid the others will find me in time, though it may seem impossible now...but I don't regret it. And for that I feel shame."

He studied her for a few minutes, look calm, but more firm. "Mmm...I suppose I can understand why. Ya took a life, but yer still the same person ya always were. In time, most of our hearts get a bit colder as we age. Even if it's only a bit. Doesn't mean we gotta look at ourselves as bad or evil fer it."

Again, she didn't answer, her expression the same.

Nodding a bit, he looked to the sky. "In time you'll see. But right now...I think you're main goal is to get to Mud." he managed another kindly smirk at the odd look she gave him.

"Mud?" she asked in a strange tone.

"Yer lookin' fer the town?"

"I am, yes, but what does mud have to do with it?"

"It has a lot to do with it, actually."

"...sir?"

He chuckled loudly in his throat at her, grinning thinly. She looked at him dully, obviously far from as amused as he was. Her tongue flitted from her mouth briefly. Now she was starting to think that "Jake" might not have been as bad. After a couple minutes she had had enough of his chortling. Deciding that he was probably just a figment of her imagination anyway, (which would better explain how he knew so much about her) she turned and started to move away.

Chuckling, he quickly slithered in front of her. "Now hold on there, hold on there. I apologize, miss Adina, I's just messin' with ya. The name of the town is called Mud. Used to be Dirt, but if you recall those 'recent events' I mentioned earlier, they seemed a change was more suitable."

"Mmhm...I see." Her look remained dull, and her tone was a bit more sarcastic. "Well, Mr. Guru-Spirit-of-the-Desert, which direction _is _this so-called town?"

The rattlesnake chuckled again and pointed his rattle behind him. "Just follow the wind. I'd escort ya to town, but...folks'd be even more uneasy at first if they saw ya talkin' to yerself." he smirked. Before she could ask what he meant, he spoke up again. "Oh! Pardon me. I never told you my name." he took off his hat and dipped his head a little. "Wyatt Slaten at yer service." he winked an eye, placing his hat back on.

Her look softened again somewhat, and she felt a tinge of guilt for becoming irritated with him. "Wyatt..." she repeated quietly in a thoughtful way, then tilted her head, looking a bit embarrassed. "You..._aren't _just part of my imagination...are you? None of it has been."

He shook his head, smiling slightly. "An old friend of mine already told you you had made the right choice. Try not to worry too much. It'll all be better in the end, you'll see. I'll check in on ya from time to time, though. Now go on. Your story here's barely started. And you got a lot left to write."

"Well...thank you, Wyatt. But please...before I go, I must ask... What are you?"

Smirking again and tipping his hat a bit, he responded casually, "Many things, miss. Many things. Eventually, you'll figure that out as well. In the meantime, I wish you luck 'til we see one another again."

A strong gust of wind shot between the two, making Adina look away as it kicked up sand and dirt, making her cough. When the wind died down and continued to gently blow forward, she looked up again to ask what had just happened, but found that no one else was there but her. Lying on the ground in Wyatt's place was the gold nugget he had been holding earlier. Narrowing her eyes at it in confusion, she looked around once more for any signs of the old rattler. When she found none, she gathered up the gold in her tail and began to follow the wind like he had said. She couldn't help but wonder what else this desert had in store for her in he future.

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><p>About half of an hour later, she saw something sparkling in the distance. The closer she got, the more she could make out. Indeed, there was a town, much to her relief, and almost joy. Her eyes brightened at what looked like a small lake lying just outside of it, and for the first time in many days, she laughed a little bit, feeling more reassured and comforted by the simple, yet wonderful sight. Too eager and happy, even for her own liking, she slithered towards it quickly, nearly flying over the sand. She grinned a bit once she was sure it wasn't just a mirage, and actually leapt in the air a bit when she reached the water's edge, disappearing underneath the surface with a splash, the gold still wrapped safely in her coils.<p>

Indulging herself for as long as she could hold her breath, she winded through the water and savored every ounce of it that soaked into the crevices between her scales, twisting and swerving enthusiastically around the deeper center of the lake.

She didn't even look up as she headed for the service to get some air, and lifted her head up with a pleasurable sigh, finally opening her eyes. She froze however when her gaze locked with that of a _very _surprised looking horned toad lizard with red, almost pink eyes, who had just happened to have jumped in for a dip. Blinking stupidly, his look of shock turned to one of horror at seeing what she was, and he started to stutter, turning quickly, swimming to shore and scrambling out with a yelp, heading quickly for the town. His red and white striped swim suit trailed water across the ground as he ran. "Sheriff! _Sheriff! _There's a sea serpent in the lake!"

Blinking out of surprise herself, Adina then cringed with an audible groan and lowered herself in the water so about half of her head was submerged. She furrowed her brows nervously, hoping those who lived here wouldn't chase her out before she even entered the street.

She watched the smaller lizard disappear behind a building and sighed, now also feeling guilty. "Poor thing. Hope I didn't frighten him too much." she swam closer to the edge of the lake until she could easily rest on the bottom of it without having to get up on land. Raising her upper body above the surface some more, she decided to wait for this 'sheriff' to come along, thinking it best that they approach her first.


	4. Chapter 4

**Alrighty, time for another update. This chapter is going to be a bit sloppy and rushed i'm afraid. I have most of the story planned out already, but it's filling in the blank spots that gets difficult sometimes. Aside from this fanfiction, I made a couple AMVs for Rango, though only one of them has been posted on my YouTube account. I'm actually happy with it. If anyone wants to ever see it here's the link. Just don't use spaces. h t t p : /youtu. be/UFidpMFrCLI**

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><p>After having waited for about five minutes, Adina finally saw four figures emerge from where the horned toad lizard had previously fled. One of them happened to be the small lizard himself, hiding a little bit behind a taller, more gangly reptile with green scales. She couldn't help but raise a brow at him slightly. After all, it wasn't every day a chameleon was seen dressed in cowboy attire. Lowering her brow once more, she looked at the figure next to him. A pretty, young looking lizard with reddish brown hair, neatly curled at the ends, and wearing a blue dress. Both of them were carrying rifles, which made the snake cringe a small bit. The fourth figure was a black crow with an injured leg, limping slightly with a crutch rested under the opposite wing. His look was much more calm and laid-back compared to the other three, who looked either suspicious or terrified of her.<p>

Obviously not wanting to alarm them further, she lowered her head more to their level and offered a very subtle nod as they came within ten feet of her, stopping.

The chameleon raised his rifle a bit but didn't point it directly at Adina. "Little lost, are ya, stranger?" he asked somewhat suspiciously. "I ain't never seen you 'round these parts before. Where do ya hail from?"

His accent seemed a bit forced, but she wasn't about to take something as small as that into consideration while they still had firm grips on their firearms. Instead, she tilted her head downward a bit, looking at them with her green eyes somewhat nervously as she began to speak in a calm, polite tone. "A long ways from here, I will admit. I'm not a threat to you, though. I-I can swear on it."

The female lizard narrowed her eyes a bit, obviously not sure on whether to believe her. Finally she spoke up. "Folks 'round here don't take too kindly to snakes. How we supposed t'know you's tellin' the truth er not?"

The snake furrowed her brows a small bit. "I guess I can understand why they wouldn't...but, please, I assure you, i'm not-"

"First things first, as sheriff of this town, I order you to get out of that water and onto dry land where we can see you fully." the chameleon demanded firmly. "S'not that we don't trust ya, it's just that...er...well...we don't...trust-er..." he blinked, his accent faltering completely for a brief moment. Then he raised the rifle a bit more and demanded more sharply, voice cracking briefly. "Just get outta the water. Nice and slow."

"Alright, alright. There's no need to get angry." Adina soothed, slowly slithering out onto the dry land as they all backed up a little more. "I'm out."

The chameleon stammered again briefly, accent dropping a bit once more. "W-we can see that!"

Rolling her eyes slightly, the female lizard looked at the snake again. "What are ya doin' here anyways? What is it you want?"

"It's a...long and...complicated story. Simply putting it...i'm looking for a new home. I hid away in a truck about six days ago, and...this is where it was when they figured out they had an extra passenger. My name's Adina. I was told there was a town out here by...Roadkill? I think that's what his name was." She had decided to leave Jake and Wyatt out of the picture for now, thinking it were best.

The chameleon rose his brows very slightly, lowering his rifle. "He...?" he shook his head. "N-nevermind. I-I know who you're talking about, but...it's the rest of your story that i'm not sure on." he admitted, glancing at the female. "Beans? What do you think?"

Adina smiled briefly when his southern accent was lost completely and replaced with one more similar to her own. Taking a wild guess within her mind, she figured he wasn't originally from around here either.

"The snake has been truthful so far." the crow stated calmly, almost matter-of-factly, before anyone else could answer. He cast his brown eyes onto the chameleon. "Her eyes do not lie. Or body."

"A-a-are ya sure on that, Wounded Bird?" asked the little horned toad lizard, finally speaking. "M-my pappy used teh tell me that most snakes was cold-hearted and gots the blood lust..."

Adina tilted her head, hiding a small hurt look as she glanced over at the female lizard with her eyes, saying softly, almost quietly. "You were right it seemed...about the people in town."

Now it was Beans' turn to lower her rifle, though only a little. The lizard's look almost softened a bit as she continued to watch the snake, then glanced over at the sheriff. "Maybe we should take her into town and sort all this out there. If she's tellin' the truth, poor thing's probably runnin' on an empty tank as it is." Her eyes shifted to Adina again, almost managing a smile.

"Miss Beans is right." Wounded Bird added with a nod. "But the decision is still yours, Sheriff Rango."

"Hmm." Rango looked to the side, then at Beans again. "Well...it wouldn't be right to just turn her away for something she didn't do." He looked at Adina again. "You may accompany us into town, little lady. But we're watchin' you, so no funny business. Deal?"

Sighing in relief, the snake offered a nod and a smile. "Thank you. I really appreciate this." She said, looking down at the horned toad lizard again with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for scaring you earlier, too. I had no idea you were floating there." she added with a light chuckle. The smaller lizard looked up at her curiously, though it was easy to tell he was still nervous. He was indeed an adult, but he had a somewhat childlike endeavor to him.

"W-well...ya didn't try an' eat me. So...it's ok, Miss Adina." the lizard offered, managing a small, toothy grin as he finally stepped out from behind Rango. "My name's Waffles."

Shuffling another chuckle, Adina smiled a bit more. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Clearing his throat to get her attention, Rango turned the other way. "Now if you'll just follow us we'll take ya into town." He started to walk, Beans and Wounded Bird following close behind. Feeling a bit more comfortable around her, Waffles waited for the female snake to slither after them, walking alongside her as they made their way into town.

"Oh, I almost forgot...Sheriff Rango, sir? You wouldn't happen to know where I could find something to eat...would you? It's been a while since I had something filling." she said sheepishly. "I'm afraid I don't have any money at the moment, though. Just this." she lifted her tail briefly to reveal the gold nugget Wyatt had either forgotten or left for her.

"Don't worry, we'll sort this all out eventually." Rango said, raising a brow high at the gold. "How'd you come by something like that? Bring it with ya from home, i'm assumin'?"

Beans rolled her eyes, but managed a very small, affectionate smirk. "Oh lord...honey, when're you gonna learn t'mind yer own business?"

Chuckling softly, Adina shrugged. "It's ok. I found it in the desert, actually. I figured it might be of some use to me if I was going to start anew."

Wounded Bird could tell the first part of her statement had been partially a lie, but he said nothing to Beans or Rango as he cocked his head to the right a bit, casting the snake a calm, emotionless glance. She caught the look and furrowed her brows somewhat worriedly, hoping to tell him with her expression that how she had _really _come across the gold nugget was something she herself couldn't really explain. Luckily for her, he seemed to understand what the look had meant and offered a very subtle nod, looking forward again. She calmed herself, but her worried look still remained. The look didn't go unnoticed by Waffles, who tilted his head curiously at her.

"You awright, Miss Adina?" he asked cutely, seeming concerned. "Ya seem kinda upset."

Looking at him, she couldn't help but smile sweetly. "I-I'm ok. I'm just a bit tired is all."

He beamed up at her. "Don't ferget hungry. Miss Beans here knows how to make some mighty fine Horsefly and Sweet Mosquito stew. Don'tcha, Miss Beans?"

Before Beans could answer, Rango looked back at them. "If ya ask me, everythin' she makes tastes just heavenly."

"Now yer just sweet talkin' me." the female lizard smirked. She looked back at Adina. "But yer welcome to come and try it."

"I would love to." she said. After a minute, something else had come to mind, and she had opened her mouth to speak, but a shrill scream sounded from nearby, making them all look over. It was only then that Adina had finally noticed they had just entered the street.

"Snake!" an older, female rabbit yelped nearby, running into Mr. Furgus' general store in a frenzy. Every citizen walking in the street at that time had stopped to stare at the rabbit before looking in Adina's direction, all freezing with short gasps and looking very uneasy. It was much quieter now.

Clearing her throat quietly and awkwardly, the snake lowered her head as she felt her cheeks starting to burn in embarrassment. She was thankful at that point only her chin and underbelly were white in color, otherwise they would have seen her blushing. Her eyes looked around at everyone as her tongue flitted from her mouth, tasting the hot air. Most of them were afraid of her, she could tell that much. Rango, Beans, Wounded Bird, and Waffles were the only ones that seemed calm, though Beans and Rango both shared sheepish looks.

Grinning widely, completely oblivious, Waffles looked up at the snake and exclaimed just above a whisper, "I think they like ya, Miss Adina!"

Chuckling nervously, Rango stepped forward and raised his hands a bit. "Now, I know what you all are thinkin'. But I assure you, no one here is in any danger. A-as hungry and malnourished as this young lady here may be, she has promised _not _to eat _any_body despite her...serpentine-like origins."

The townsfolk glanced around at one another, confused, then back at their sheriff, no one saying a word.

Beans rolled her eyes and shook her head with a sigh as Wounded Bird lightly slapped a wing over his face. Stomping up to Rango's side, Beans decided it was her turn to intervene. "Miss Adina is just like _everybody_ else here. She's had a long journey and the least we can do is show her some hospitality. If any a' you got a problem with that..." she raised her firearm a bit. "Then kindly step up. Other than that, get back to what you was doin'."

Blinking, everyone quickly went back to the way they were acting before, though most of them cast uneasy looks in their direction every now and again.

Emitting a somewhat high-pitched chuckle, Rango looked at Beans with a cheesy grin. "Huh! ...Nicely done."


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, this only took me three days to get started up. This chapter came more easily compared to that last, though. With ideas, I mean. I've been thinking of a couple more characters I made for this story and was debating on whether to use them for bigger roles or not (and possibly another pairing that has to do with Wounded Bird later on) but im still working on it.**

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><p>Managing to ignore the watchful stares from all that the group passed by, Adina accompanied Beans, Rango, and Waffles for a little (not to mention particularly short) tour of Mud.<p>

"So, Miss Adina, whaddya think?" Rango asked, stepping in a lively, almost proud way down the dirt street. "We may very well be one of the finest towns on this side of the Missouri."

Wounded Bird had decided to go to Buford's saloon for a drink of water, confident Rango and Beans would be able to handle the young snake. Expression never wavering, he casually stepped aside before entering as a bearded beetle named Legs shoved Gordy through the doors roughly, making him land at the bottom of the steps with a yelp. "Serves ya right! Go suck a spittoon dry, ya varmint!"

Stumbling to his feet, the bird looked around dazedly before starting to make his way towards the General Store with a drunken swagger to his step.

Having watched the entire scene unfold with a scaly brow raised high, Adina blinked and managed a meek smile. "It's…certainly vigorous, I'll give you that."

"Yep." Rango grinned. "That's pretty much how we roll 'round here."

Beans rolled her eyes and scoffed lightly with a small, barely noticeable smirk, looking at Adina again. "First impressions ain't always the most reliable. You'll never be bored, I can tell ya that much."

"The heat is something I'll have to get used to, but I think I'll manage." the snake offered, looking around again. "Do you happen to know of a place I can stay for a while? At least until I find somewhere I won't be in anyone's way."

"I'm afraid we don't have too many places suitably fit for a woman of your particular size. N-no offense meant, mind you." Rango added quickly and carefully. "The only place we could offer you is the old mill on the other end of town."

Adina tilted her head, offering a small smile. "As long as it has a roof, I'm fine with it."

"We do apologize for the inconvenience though." Beans said, then paused, raising a brow at the sheriff after a minute. "Wait a minute…what about the Mayor's old office? Surely that's big enough. And it's a lot nicer."

Clearing his throat nervously and looking around with caution, Rango uttered to her somewhat quietly in a wary tone, "That's uhh…that's already been reserved for the, er…next few weeks." He made a quiet, choked sound in his throat. "Yep…so that's currently unavailable for any vacancies."

The desert iguana rose a brow in suspicion and she soon gave the sheriff a look, crossing her arms. "…"

Chuckling nervously, Rango took off his hat and held it in front of him. "Have I told you today that I love you?"

"Why would it be reserved?" she asked, ignoring his cover-up question.

"I…" He sighed, his expression and voice still hushed but a bit more serious. "Beans, I'll tell ya, but maybe when we're somewhere more private?"

Raising her brow higher, she drawled out after a small huff, "Why? What's it got to do with?"

"It's just…" He glanced over at Adina and Waffles with his eyes for a minute, then sighed and pulled Beans aside so the two could discuss the matter quietly.

"What d'ya reckon they're talkin' about, Miss Adina?" Waffles asked the snake quietly. "Must be mighty important, on account it's makin' the sheriff so edgy." He thought about it for a moment, looking up. "Well…edgy_er_."

"Hmm. Perhaps, but if it's something we need to worry about he'll tell us if he has to." she reassured, managing a small half smile. He smiled back brightly.

"You's gonna be happy here, Miss Adina, I guarantee it. I'm sure everyone'll warm up t'ya eventually." he said. "Yer awful nice fer a snake. I-i'll be yer first friend if ya want!" He beamed at the thought. "I like makin' new friends."

Smiling sweetly at him, seeming touched, she let go of her gold nugget and curled her tail around him briefly in a gentle hug. He jumped at first, not knowing exactly what she was doing, but quickly calmed when she gave him a friendly nudge on the nose with her own. "Thank you, Waffles." she said softly, moving her tail away again. "You're very kind."

The horned toad lizard giggled sheepishly, his face turning a bright shade of red briefly as he held his hat in both hands. "Y-yer welcome, Miss Adina."

Before the snake could say anything else, the two turned their heads quickly to the sound of Beans' shrill, almost angry voice from nearby.

"What! You called in Ja-?"

"Beans! Beans._ Inside_ voice, _inside_ voice. We don't wanna work up the townsfolk over this, now do we?" Rango interrupted quickly. "It's only until Artie Crypt's and Lockjaw's gangs are dealt with, I promise."

"Well, whaddya think the people are gonna do when that ol' devil just comes slitherin' into town?" Beans cried. "And when exactly were you gonna let me in on this little plan o' yours?"

"Shhh! I'm…I'm still workin' on that. And I was gonna tell ya, Beans, I swear it. Most of the town'll be asleep when he comes anyway. See? I planned some of it out." Rango said helpfully, but sunk a little under Beans' irate looking gaze. "Aheh heh...I still love you."

Blinking, Adina looked down at Waffles in a confused way, but he merely shrugged, seeming just as baffled as she was. A sharp prod in her tail was what finally drew away the snake's attention, and she turned to look down at a small aye-aye with big, golden eyes staring up at her curiously, a stick in one hand.

"Hi, Miss Priscilla." Waffles greeted her happily.

Priscilla blinked and tilted her head at Adina. "Are you really the 'Reaper's Bride'?" she asked suddenly.

The snake rose her brow again, now looking even more confused. "Um...come again, young one?"

Running over quickly, Rango placed a hand on Priscilla's shoulder. "Hey there, little sister. I see you've already introduced yerself to Miss Adina here, am I right?" he asked, smiling.

"Not really. I just wanted to see if she was here to eat anyone." the young aye-aye said matter-of-factly.

"What? Now who told you that?" Rango asked, getting down on one knee to see her better.

"The townsfolk, sheriff. They're sayin' she's come to do Rattlesnake Jake's work while we're all sleepin'. And take our souls down to Hell with her."

His look becoming a bit stern, Rango glanced over at Beans, whose moody expression had calmed a bit after hearing the townsfolk had already been gossiping about the arrival of a snake into their town. "Beans, can you show Miss Adina where the mill is? I need to have a word with some folk around here." he stood up straight once again and looked down at Priscilla. "Can you tell me who you heard all this from?"

"Mmhm." the young lemur nodded and took Rango's hand, starting to pull him towards the General Store. "Follow me, sheriff."

Waffles furrowed his brows a bit, looking up at Adina. "Don't take it teh heart, Miss Adina. They haven't had a chance to meet ya yet is all."

The snake didn't seem as offended as she was befuddled by the information. She glanced at Waffles briefly, then at Beans. "Rattlesnake Jake? Who is he?" she asked, though she had a feeling that she already knew. She had planned to stay true to her word and not reveal anything, however, if this had turned out to be the same Jake she had become "acquainted" with the previous night.

Though she seemed ill at ease on the subject, Beans answered her in a somewhat hushed tone. "He's...he's just an outlaw that's famous 'round here. A lot of folks call him the Grim Reaper, considerin' he never leaves the town without takin' a soul when he comes. He hasn't been here in nearly a month, but..." she glanced away awkwardly, looking tempted to say something more, but realizing it were probably best if she kept her mouth shut, especially with Waffles right there. "Some of us just can't help but worry."

"Oh. I...I see." Adina said quietly, nodding a little and looking worried. Worried was an understatement compared to how she was really feeling on the inside. Only now did she realize how much danger she really _could have _been in when she had come across him in the rock dwelling during that storm. If what Beans was saying was true, then why hadn't he killed her? She then remembered what Wyatt had said to her earlier; "_Recent events have gotten 'im thinkin' lately."_

What he had meant by that exactly, she wasn't sure. But Beans had said he hadn't been in town in almost a month, so maybe that had something to do with Wyatt's statement. The thought calmed her a bit, which was a great relief to the snake. She decided it was something she shouldn't get worked up over just yet and shook the thoughts away.

Seeming to sense the negative vibes, Beans forced a small smile and turned, starting to walk down the road. "Come on. Let's go to the mill. It ain't much anymore, but it's spacey. All it needs is a bit of dusting, maybe a plant or two, but I think it'll be alright for now."

Adina followed her, scooping up the gold nugget in her coils once again. "I'll take your word for it. But like I said, as long as it doesn't leak, it'll be perfect." she smirked.

"I really wish we could offer you somethin' better, though."

"You're doing so much already, Miss Beans, and i'm grateful."

"If ya need any help with cleanin', Miss Adina, I-I can do some stuff for ya." Waffles offered with another small grin, jogging up alongside the two females and walking with them. "All ya need to do is ask. I'm pretty good with straightenin' up."

"Sure, you can help if you'd like. Deeds are accomplished faster in numbers. That's what my father always says." the snake replied.

Beans chuckled. "I'm assumin' you take after him then?"

"You could say that, yes. My mother believes so, as well as a few of my friends."

Waffles looked at her curiously, tilting his head with a confused look. "So...if you has a mammy and pappy back home, how come ya came out here? Why aren't ya with them?"

Furrowing her brows a bit as a small twinge of sadness washed over her, she looked over at him with her eyes. "I-I..." she sighed softly through her nose and looked forward again, expression a bit more forlorn. "It's complicated to explain." she looked at him again and managed a small, sad smile. "I'll explain it to you another day, Waffles. It's just...something I would prefer not to talk about at the moment."

Crestfallen, somewhat, Waffles nodded a little in understanding and looked over at Beans, who only offered a sad, subtle shrug in return. Almost looking a bit worried, Waffles moved a bit closer to Adina and placed one of his hands to her warm scales as they continued along down the road. The snake turned to her new friend and smiled again, seeming less sad now than she had before.


	6. Chapter 6

**I've been drawing some of my OCs lately for the story. Only some bird ones, though. One of them is a Common Grackle named Tanana, and the other is a Golden Eagle, and my main villain, Semira. I like how they turned out, but Tanana isn't as pretty as I imagine her. ^^; Not sure when i'll post them on dA, but maybe after I add some other characters on the page.**

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><p>Sliding open the worn-out door of the run-down old mill, Beans stepped in and forced a weak grin as she gestured inside with a hand. "Well, here we are." she said, emitting a quiet chuckle. As she looked around, she couldn't help but cringe to herself slightly at the state of the place. It was much more dusty than she last remembered. All of the old machines that had once been inside the mill had been removed, and all that was left were a few overturned tables, broken and whole bottles of various colors piled in one corner, some rope, and empty sacks, which were dangling off the edge of the loft above their head. The loft seemed to extend around the perimeter of the building, and rays of sunlight poured in from the single window high above the doorway.<p>

"I told ya it's a bit of a fixer-upper..." the desert iguana pointed out. "If we figure somethin' better out we'll tell ya right away. It's a shame none of the rooms in the hotel nearby are big enough."

Slithering inside further, Adina looked around and the corners of her mouth slowly curled up into a thin, intrigued looking grin. "Oh, no need. It's perfect for now. It's bigger than my mother's and father's tree den. Not as...homey, but I think I can work on that." she said, offering a smirk and a wink. "I already have an idea for the broken bottles, I think. No sense in wasting all this glass."

His tail flicking from side to side, Waffles beamed briefly and asked, "What you gonna do with 'em, Miss Adina?"

"Hopefully something that'll add a little bit of iridescence to the place." the snake answered, smiling at him. "Give me a few hours and you'll see what I mean."

"Is there anything you need help with?" Beans asked.

"No, no, I think I can handle it from here. Thank you again, Miss Beans. And if you see the sheriff, please tell him the same for me?"

"I can do that." she replied with a smile. "What about gettin' you somethin' to eat first, though? Ya shouldn't get teh work on an empty stomach."

Finally remembering that all she had eaten that day was a cricket, a gnawing hunger rumbled quietly in her stomach and she nodded, her expression a mixture of embarrassment and pleading. "Please, yes. What can you recommend?"

Beans had been about to speak, but stopped herself before she could utter a sound. Taking her to the small diner down the street might not have been the best of ideas at that point. Two reasons why had settled on Beans' mind. One of which being that the townsfolk would probably clear out at the very sight of the snake, or they would be silent, making the situation even more awkward. The second reason would be just Adina's size in general. She would have to wait outside for her food to be given to her.

"Um...you know what? How about I run down the street an' git you a little somethin'? Y-you take it easy fer now."

Raising a brow, giving her an odd look, Adina blinked and tilted her head at the desert iguana. "...Are you sure? I don't mind coming with you."

"Oh, no, no, it's fine. Really, it'll only take a little bit." Beans offered. Before the snake could even reply, she added quickly. "I insist."

Lowering her brow, Adina nodded briefly. "Alright, if you wish to, then you may. Thank you again." she smiled. "I'd probably still be wandering the desert if you and the sheriff hadn't allowed me to come into town."

"Don't mention it. Now, i'll be right back. Don't go tryin' an' doin' too much work while i'm gone, I don't need to go runnin' to Doc's office on my return."

Chuckling, the snake smirked. "I think I can survive a while longer, Miss Beans."

Scoffing lightly, the lizard smirked back, turning and starting to walk. "Alright, alright, I was just showin' concern. Time me." She quickened her pace to a run and disappeared outside the door.

Waffles looked up at Adina again and took a few steps towards the door. "I think I better go an' help Miss Beans out in case she has too much to carry. Ya gonna be alright here by yourself fer a little bit, Miss Adina?"

"I'll be fine, yes." she smiled. "Go on. And if you aren't busy later today, maybe you could help me with these?" she asked, lifting a broken, blue glass bottle with her tail.

"It'd be a mighty pleasure." he beamed, his little tail flicking again briefly.

Nodding once, Adina's smile widened. "Great."

"I'll be back soon, Miss Adina." he said happily, offering a brief wave before running out after Beans. "H-hey, Miss Beans! Wait fer me!"

Adina laughed lightly and turned around, setting her gold aside as she eyed the inside of the mill again in interest. Slithering over to the pile of broken bottles and glass, she picked up an amber colored piece with her tail and held it up to one of the rays of sunlight shining through the window high above. It created a colorful spectrum of light on the lower wall behind her. She looked at it in satisfaction. "These should be perfect. If this works, it'll definitely add some radiance to this old place."

"You add quite a bit yerself, miss." purred a somewhat deep, accented voice from behind, making the young snake turn and look towards the door. Leaning against the frame was a somewhat haughty looking Gila Monster. The corners of his mouth slowly turned upward in a cocky, almost desiring looking grin as she turned his way and he cocked his head to the side a bit. A lit cigar was nestled between two of his claws, and the smell it produced was detectable from quite a ways off. He wasn't the slimmest of lizards, but he wasn't weak looking either. Adina noticed he had pistols on his holster, but how he was able to reach them was the question that came to her mind. His arms didn't seem long enough.

"Newcomer...eh?" he asked, lifting the cigar to his mouth and taking a couple of puffs, rotating it in his fingers and blowing out the smoke slowly.

The snake couldn't help but feel a bit nervous, and almost intimidated by him. She coiled up a bit in a more secure way and tilted her head downward, looking at him with her eyes and clearing her throat. "You could say that, yes. You would be one of the first few that hasn't run away in terror."

He chuckled lowly, raising a bushy brow. "From a pretty li'l thing like you? Nooo, no. A'course not." He put the cigar back into his mouth and took a few more puffs, repeating the rotation stage once more.

_Little? _the snake wondered. She was long and slender, yes, but she was taller than him by a fair amount of inches with her head and neck raised up.

A brief, awkward silence followed the comment. Well, for Adina in the least it had been awkward, but the Gila Monster was letting his eyes wander over the snake's delicate form a bit in interest. His grin grew on one side of his mouth, almost as if he were smirking.

"Um...is there something you needed, sir..?" she asked, somewhat meekly.

"Not this early in the morinin', no." he rumbled, placing the cigar back in his mouth with an almost suggestive glint in his eyes. "Ya gotta name, love?" he asked, his voice inheriting a more civilized and almost polite tone finally.

A pause followed. She would rather have not told him, but she figured if he was local to this town he would find out for himself eventually. Clearing her throat again, she said quietly. "Adina."

He let out a pleasant rumble. "Enchanting."

Trying to ignore the slight deviance in his voice, she straightened up and attempted to stay polite and calm with him for as long as she could. Instinctively, she felt the need to stall. "And you are...?"

"Bill." he grunted. "But you can call me William." he grinned again, opening his mouth and putting out the cigar on his tongue slowly, no indication of pain or discomfort from the action present on his scaly face.

Wincing a bit just from the sight, Adina bit down on her own tongue lightly, resisting the urge to shudder. She wasn't sure what to make of this lizard just yet, but as of right now, she wasn't too fond of him.

Noticing this, Bill grinned in a more wicked way and pushed away from the doorframe with his tail. "Forgive me if i'm wrong, but ya seem a bit..._tense_, my dear." He took a few steps forward, instinctively making Adina back up a little.

"Tense...?" she asked nervously, the end of her tail whipping around herself again, more tightly.

"Aye." he smirked, taking a couple of more steps closer. "Am I making you feel uneasy?"

Backing up again, but still managing a calm voice despite her external reaction, she admitted, "If I said no I would be lying..." She nearly jumped when she felt her body hit the back wall and stopped. She recoiled her neck a bit as he stopped in front of her, trying to stay as distant from him as she could manage.

"Tell me..." he purred in mockingly curious way, tossing the cigar aside carelessly. "Are you a viper, my dear?"

Raising a brow slightly in a confused way, she replied, "Uhh...no...?"

"Do you produce a venom of any kind?" he asked in a more explanatory way.

"N-no, I don't." she said, bewilderment detectable in her voice.

She soon regretted answering truthfully as he rumbled again in satisfaction and grinned. "Perfect." he purred, tracing the crevice between two of her scales almost in a painful way slowly. "Might make this a bit easier then."

Seeming to understand what he meant, she tried to move away from him but he quickly stomped on a section of her tail hard with a large boot, making her hiss in pain and look at him angrily. The slight panic in her eyes only amused him, and her expression was disregarded. He waved a claw back and forth and chuckled. "Ah, ah, ah...what's your rush, love?"

"Kindly remove your _boot_, _sir_." she demanded calmly in a very firm, almost warning tone. "Venom or not, I bite hard."

He grinned more and added more pressure to her tail, giving his boot a quick twist and making her cringe in discomfort. "As do I. Unlike you, however...I _am _toxic. Now...I normally wouldn't _dream _of resorting to such violence on a lovely little number such as you. However...if you don't act very _ladylike_ and allow me to do as I desire, I may have to make an exception for you."

Her glare hardened, but her fear intensified on the inside slightly. She wasn't sure on what to do. Maybe she could take her chance with being bitten. It might not have been the best choice, but if it gave her a chance to not be taken advantage of like this, she would risk it.

"Well? What'll it be, love?" he asked after a minute, shaking his head with a wider smirk. "I won't wait forever."

Adina had been about to answer and make her move, but something behind Bill had caught her eye, and she glanced away for a minute, raising both brows.

The end of a crutch whacked the Gila Monster hard in the back of the head, making him yell out in pain briefly and whirl on the person with a snarl. "I'M GONNA-!" he froze and rose both brows, looking cross-eyed down at the end of a shotgun being pressed against his snout.

Cocking the weapon held firmly in his wings, Wounded Bird rose a brow at the lizard dully but daringly and pushed the muzzle more roughly against his face. "Leave." he commanded sternly. "Will not ask again."

Holding up his hands and resisting a particularly loathsome scowl, Bill slowly lifted his foot off of Adina's tail, which she quickly pulled closer to herself. He then inched off to the side and turned, backing up towards the door quickly but calmly. Wounded Bird kept his bead on the outlaw the entire time, lowering his brow so his gaze was more serious. The lizard quickly bolted away and down the street once he made it outside the door.

Lowering the shotgun, the crow turned and looked at Adina in slight concern, though his expression still didn't change much. "You hurt?" he asked.

Slowly, she shook her head, calming down greatly. "N-no. I'm ok." she furrowed her brows. "Thank you. I'm not sure what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

"Nothing good." he stated. "And you're welcome. Many people in town scared. I see no danger when I look at you, Miss Adina."

Managing a light smile, she nodded once. "I'm glad. Thank you again."

He offered a nod in return.

Both of them turned when Beans and Waffles walked into the mill once again, looking happy and casual, obviously oblivious to what had just happened. Beans set down a large basket and looked over at the snake. "Hopefully you like it. Seasoned crickets are good on a day like this."

"Yeah! Yeah." Waffles said, struggling to hold onto a large bowl of something hot and steaming. "And I gotcha some of that horsefly and sweet mosquito stew I mentioned earlier." he set the bowl down carefully with a grunt. "Yer gonna love it. I could eat it all day."

Smirking softly at him, she chuckled quietly in her throat. "Well, in that case, you can help me clean that bowl out. There's plenty, i'm sure."

"Really? But I don't wanna eat what's supposed teh be fer you." the horned toad lizard said, already looking a bit guilty.

"It can be for both of us then. I don't mind sharing." the snake reassured. "Please?"

Smiling, Waffles nodded after a minute. "Thanks, Miss Adina."

As the two began to share the large meal, Beans walked over to Wounded Bird and rose a scaly brow, pulling him aside and asking quietly. "Bein' the sheriff's Deputy, i'm assumin' you know what Rango's up to later tonight?"

Wounded Bird rose a brow at her inquisitively, seeming surprised that she herself knew something that wasn't supposed to go beyond two people before tomorrow. Still, he nodded once and lowered his brow once again. "Sheriff call snake, because he need help." he explained.

She scoffed. "Why couldn't he just come to us if he needed help? Is he fergettin' who it was that helped him track down them...would-be bank robbers last month?"

"Doesn't want us getting involved." came the simple reply.

"Why? Could you enlighten me?" Beans asked, becoming impatient.

"He care too much." Wounded Bird stated matter-of-factly. "He call snake, because he doesn't want innocent or good people hurt."

Beans' look softened a bit and she furrowed her brows, now looking more worried. Sighing, she turned away and held herself gently, forcing a stubborn look. "Stupid man...ain't he worried 'bout himself none? The last thing I need is him gettin' himself killed over such...foolish nonsense. I already lost my daddy." she looked down, narrowing her eyes more to hide her concern and sadness.

His look becoming more sympathetic, Wounded Bird placed a wing to her shoulder for comfort. "You underestimate him. Don't. Much more lies within him than is obvious. He proved that."

Sighing again, Beans' look softened once more and became more weary. "Yeah, well...I still worry 'bout 'im."

Smiling a small bit briefly, Wounded Bird gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "Many do. Mustn't let it overcome you, though."

"I know, I know..." she turned and looked at him. "I'll try to think a bit more positively, alright? Let's just...go and see what that fool's up to."

Nodding once, Wounded Bird and Beans said brief goodbyes and left Adina and Waffles to their hot meal, walking out of the door and into warm sunlight.


	7. Chapter 7

**Two chapters in two days, i'm surprised I managed to do this. O_o I think it's because I was looking forward to typing this scene. I missed writing for Jake. Oh, and if anyone recognizes the quote in this chapter that was inspired by Davy Jones, feel free to point it out.**

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><p>After Adina had eaten her fill of the crickets and stew, she stretched and curled up against a near wall as she tiredly watched Waffles finish the rest, smiling lightly to herself. She knew that if she decided to take a nap, it would be hours before she awoke again, and would most likely be nighttime. Right now, however, she could care less. She would worry about her sleep cycle later. Right now she was full, tired, comfortable, and happy, and nothing could spoil that for her. Closing her eyes, she sighed softly as she slowly began to drift off, the tip of her tail resting lightly over her snout.<p>

Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, Waffles glanced over at her briefly and did a double take, tilting his head. Getting up, he quietly made his way over to her and blinked as he looked her over. "Miss Adina...?" he whispered quietly to see if she was awake. When she didn't respond, he smiled a bit and sat down against the warm, scaly wall that made up a section of her coils. Taking his hat off and setting it on the dusty floor, he rested slowly on his side and curled up against her, deciding to take a nap himself. Yawning, he closed his eyes and began to doze off himself.

The corners of her mouth curling up slightly, Adina let her tail gently curled around the horned toad lizard's sleeping form and pick him up, placing him back down delicately inside her coils, which seemed to almost cradle him as the snake drifted back into her slumber. The two friends began to nap peacefully together.

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><p>Much later that night, Rango slowly opened his eyes as he lay on the comfortable bed made up for him in the Jail where he often resided. He sighed deeply and sat up, turning and dangling his legs off the edge of the bed before pushing himself up to his feet. He hadn't slept at all, but despite his exhaustion, there was still something he needed to take care of while the rest of the town slept. He glanced at the clock on the wall and was somewhat surprised by his correct timing. Five minutes before 4 AM. That gave him plenty of time to walk to the other side of town. Putting on his usual duds and slipping into his boots and hat, the chameleon looked over and took his badge from off of his desk, gazing at it quietly for a moment or so. With another sigh, he clipped it onto his vest and headed for the door, stepping outside into the cool night air.<p>

The street was quiet and bare. Even the Gas Can saloon was dark and empty of its usual customers. Few lights remained on in all of the buildings and this calmed the sheriff slightly. The last thing he needed was panic to start spreading around like a plague. Taking in a breath of air, he began to walk down the street, his spurs making small, audible clanking sounds with each step.

_Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea..._ He thought to himself. What other choice did he have, though? Not to mention it was far too late to turn back now. He had to at least try. It was his duty to protect the people of this town now, and ensure their safety. This was a risk he had to take. No matter the cost that came with it.

Walking just outside of town, he scanned the horizon with his eyes.

Nothing.

Stopping mere feet from the closest building, he sighed deeply once again and gazed up at the night sky, alight with bright stars and the full moon. For that moment he felt at ease, smiling slightly at the sight. _Beautiful, isn't it? _"Yeah..." he said to himself, agreeing with his own thoughts out loud. "It is."

He was abruptly cut off from his thoughts as strong, tight, scaly coils suddenly wrapped around his body, making him gasp out briefly for air as a strangled cry sounded from his throat. His brows shot up when his gaze locked with fiery orbs staring back at him sinisterly and he became silent and still.

"Hello, _brother._" the rattlesnake rumbled in a mocking way, the corners of his mouth curling up into a slightly ominous grin. He chuckled lowly briefly at the timid reaction the sheriff gave him, basking in the slight fear he saw and smelled within the smaller lizard. "Finishin' yer rounds, i'm guessin'?"

Clearing his throat, Rango mustered up a slightly bolder expression and lifted his head. "I think you and I both know what i'm doin' here, Jacob." he said.

Scowling slightly in distaste and irritation, Jake hissed and released the sheriff roughly with a grunt, nearly making him fall onto his face. "Don't go talkin' to me like my momma, boy! My respect fer you don't give you _no _reason teh think you can speak the way you feel like." His glower turned more dark. "What is it ya want with me, sheriff? I can't just be summoned like some mongrel _puppy dog._" he spat, making a droplet of venom land at the chameleon's boots.

"Then why are ya here?" Rango asked plainly, pushing his luck once again as he crossed his arms.

The rattlesnake's nostrils flared a bit, but he managed to keep his temper at bay. Somewhat. "Curiosity." he sneered, starting to circle the small lizard. "You seem to have been doin' just fine fer yerself as of late, showin' off that _phony _bravado of yers and keepin' the peace. So why, pray _tell_...why would you require any kinda help from _me _all of a sudden? And what even makes you _think _I would take you up on such an offer?"

"I..." he sighed. "Let's try an' do this in a civilized fashion, broth-"

"And _lose _that damned accent!" the snake snarled, getting in Rango's face. "I know what you come from, boy, so _enough _fakin' 'round me!"

Deflating slightly, the chameleon looked down and to the side slightly, his regular voice finally seeping through. "I...I need your help, Jake. You've heard of Artie Crypt and his brother Lockjaw before, right?"

Jake scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You _only_ worried 'bout a couple rival gangs, son? Let 'em fight it out amongst themselves."

"That's the problem. Whenever they show up in town, the other gang has a bad habit of showing up as well. You've seen how much they hate eachother, i'm guessing, so I don't have to tell you what goes on. They're not afraid to risk the lives of others so long as they get to put some lead in their enemy's ear. I've tried getting them to stop, and me and my Deputy have nearly gotten our heads blown off for trying to interfere." he explained.

"Don't bother me none." the rattlesnake replied. "This is _yer _town, sheriff. _You _do what ya gotta do teh defend it."

"Which is why I was desperate enough to call _you_." the chameleon stressed slightly. "I'll make it worth your while, Jake."

The outlaw finally smirked slightly. "Really now...and how do ya propose on doin' that, _brother_?" he asked, eyes blazing in amusement.

There was a pause. Finally, the chameleon straightened up a bit, lifting a finger as his fake accent returned. "I'm still workin' on that. But please hear me out, Jake. I _will _come up with a proper method of payment for ya. All I ask in return is that you help me out in town until this gang situation is over and dealt with. Or at least until they take their savagery elsewhere."

The rattlesnake let it slide. Truth be told, Jake wasn't in the least bit impressed with the sheriff, but for some odd reason, his instinct told him to indulge the smaller reptile. For now, in the least. Grinning thinly in a maleficent way, the rattler rumbled lowly. "Ya got nerve, sheriff. Ya got nerve. But one issue still plagues my mind; What if ya _don't_ find a 'proper method of payment' fer me?" he chuckled. "I'm known fer drivin' a hard bargain."

"I expected as much. For now, maybe we could pay you in javelinas and road runners?" Rango offered a weak half grin.

Jake gave his fangs a brief lick and hissed, his grin remaining. "Mighty fine offer...for a start, at least. But I still expect somethin' a little better in the end."

"Rest assured, Jake, we'll figure out somethin' to agree on. So...does that mean you'll do it?" Rango asked, looking hopeful and a bit more bright-eyed than before.

Jake detested the look and hissed. "Maybe. Even though it means _helpin' _you pathetic lot. Got nothin' more excitin' to do fer the time bein', anyway. "

A large weight looked like it had been lifted from Rango's shoulders. The chameleon might have actually attempted to _hug _the large snake if he wasn't so afraid of getting his head bitten or squeezed off. He tipped his hat a bit and offered a grateful looking smile instead. "Thank you, brother. We already made living arrangements for you in the mayor's old office."

Jake chuckled lowly, offering a cocky grin. "Almost as if you already knew i'd accept the job, sheriff." his expression then turned somewhat loathsome after that. "Speakin' a which...are all his portraits and belongings still inside?"

"W-well...yes, but...I-I can have someone remove them for you if you'd like...?"

"Don't bother." the gunslinger growled. "I'll take care of it all myself." he cocked the gatling gun on his tail with a hiss, eyes alight with hellfire.

Rango swallowed hard and managed a nervous chuckle. "You do that."

Jake grunted and lowered himself a bit on his coils, looking to the side in a particularly irate way. After a minute, he rose a brow and tasted the air with his tongue, raising his head a bit again. "Hmm..." He hissed and looked around the area with his eyes narrowed. The end of his tail rattled a bit and his expression and body language seemed much more alert.

Blinking, Rango looked at him oddly. "Uhh...Jake..?"

"Hush up." the snake demanded, tasting the air again. "Seems to me that this conversation is no longer private, sheriff." he growled. In a flash, and nearly scaring Rango out of his wits, he hissed loudly and knocked out the door to the largest building nearby with his tail, which happened to be the old mill. His coils wrapped around something long and warm and with little effort, he flung it out into the street and was on the unsuspecting person in an instant, snarling in their face. "What you doin' _eavesdroppin'_, you worthless...!" he stopped short and rose his narrowed brows slightly at the familiar form in his grasp.

Adina was staring up at Jake in surprise, her green eyes wide and her body stiff. She had woken up to their voices and the sound of Jake's gun cocking only a moment before, and couldn't help but let her curiosity get to her. Getting over her shock, she lowered her head with a sheepish look and cleared her throat, offering quietly, "H-hey."

Raising a brow briefly, Jake snorted and scowled, grip loosening on her slightly.

Snapping out of his own stupor, Rango shook his head and held up his hands. "N-now, Jake? Take it easy on 'er, she didn't do anything wrong. Adina's new 'round here."

Jake looked at the lizard flatly and released the female snake somewhat roughly. "Think I don't know that?" he shot, moving away from Adina. "Her own fault fer bein' nosy. Curiosity kills sometimes, sheriff." he sent the snake a look with his eyes. "She should consider herself lucky I didn't rip that pretty little neck from her body."

Lowering her gaze and looking away, Adina backed up a bit to give the two some space. She glanced over at the mill and spotted Waffles standing in the spot where the door had been, knees knocking and holding his hat in front of him with a very uneasy expression. He was watching Jake with wide eyes, but glanced at Adina every few seconds or so to see if she was ok.

Retaining a scoff, the rattlesnake looked at Rango once again. "If you don't mind, i'd like teh get some sleep afore the sun comes up." he turned and slowly started to make his way down the street. "I expect two road runners outside my door before 7 AM. Fat ones."

"S-sure thing." Rango uttered, glancing at the broken door of the mill with a cringe. "My...apologies, Miss Adina."

"It's ok, Sheriff Rango. It could have been worse." the snake offered with a weak grin, looking down at Waffles, who had scrambled over to her for protection the minute Jake had been a safe distance away.

"Either way, i'll get someone right on that in the mornin'." he looked at the hole and offered her a sheepish chuckle and grin. "But, look on the bright side! You'll have some nice, old fashioned central air goin' on here."


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok, so that _separate_ oneshot story with a _very light_ R/W.B. pairing was obviously a no to some people. Thank you to the reviewers who didn't go bonkers over the idea and left a calm review. I don't know why I thought of it, I was just semi-inspired by the people who typed up those good Rango/Jake, and even Jake/Waffles stories. I do have my own OC for _this _story, however, named Tanana, that i'm going to pair with Wounded Bird. I think some of you thought I had meant the slash pairing for this story, but I didn't. Oh well. Anyway, on with the story. I'm going to introduce my main villain in this chapter.**

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><p>Flying through the chilly night air, in a lush Virginia forest on the other side of the country, two armored bats carried their "prize" towards a series of jagged, rocky caverns on the Western edge of their territory, illuminated by the moonlight. The sharp, steel claws on their feet dug into the wing joints of the beaten and bloodied Grackle they had in their grasp. Their expressions were hard, and callous as they stared ahead of themselves, not even casting the bird a glance. Even if they had, she wouldn't have really noticed. Her head was limp and her look was laced with exhaustion and almost shame. The fancy silk scarf tied around her head, which covered her beak to conceal old scars, made it difficult for others to see what exactly her expression was, but she relied on the language of her eyes for that. The feathers on her chest were matted and stained with red, and some of the colorful beads in her feathers had been ripped away or cracked.<p>

Under normal circumstances, Tanana would usually be able to defend herself against two insubstantial bat guards like these, but a recent injury had slowed her down quite vastly, leaving her more vulnerable. The cloak on her back, once clean, and the same color of peach roses as the scarf on her beak, was now tattered and grimey. They had done a number on her, and now she was at their mercy. She sent them a weak glare briefly before sighing and going limp again, too tired to express her anger.

She cringed as they dove down deep into a dark crevice carved within the stones, entering a cavern lit by fiery torches, swerving past jagged stalactites and walls. They passed three chambers, one of which showed a war-tattered black bear forging and crafting new armor. The Grackle sent him a pitied glance, which he reluctantly ignored. After about a minute, they entered a main cavern. Rays of moonlight poured in from holes in the walls and ceiling, washing over a golden perch with a black and gold flag dangling from it.

"_Get_ over there, vermin!" one of the bats hissed as they both threw the bird down to the stone floor before the perch.

Tanana cringed with a sharp hiss of discomfort as she landed, ultra violet pain shooting through her chest and wings. She pushed herself up on her wings as her icy blue eyes flared briefly in fury.

Swooping off in opposite directions, the bat guards landed on a few stones and nestled on top of them comfortably, showing their crooked teeth as they grinned cruelly at her. Their steel helmets and claws gleamed in the light.

The sharp war cry of an eagle echoed loudly through the cavern walls, and a gust of air shot over the Grackle's currently enfeebled form, causing her to look up sternly in distaste. A large Golden Eagle landed gracefully on the perch, its golden, polished claw armor clanking gently against the metal. Folding its wings, it turned and looked down at Tanana in a calm, dignified, but also dark manner. Its face was laced with scars, and the very end of its scratched up beak was missing. Torn away from a distant battle of the past. Its bright brown, almost rust colored eyes focused on the smaller bird and the corners of its beak curled up into a grin.

"My, my, my..." the eagle chuckled quietly, her voice accented very lightly in a sophisticated manner. "What have you brought me today, boys?"

One of the bats flew down and landed roughly on Tanana's back, pinning her back down brutally. He dug the claws on his left foot very lightly into her head and forced it upright, making her wince in discomfort and grunt. "It's the murderer's best friend, your majesty. We found her near Hardiggy's Forge."

"I see." the eagle said. "Let her up, Omar."

The bat obediently complied, flying back onto his stone.

Smirking, the eagle looked down at the bird and chuckled again. "Tanana...so lovely to see you again. Awful pity that we always have to meet like this." she cooed, flying down and landing silently on the ground before her. "Your wounds heal rapidly, though. Or so I have heard in the least."

Pushing herself up a bit, Tanana rasped out bitterly, holding back a cough. "E-every bit as _rapid_ as your wrath is swift, Lady Semira."

"It's _Queen _Semira now." she asserted. "You know why. After that _wretched _snake _murdered _my dear husband in cold blood, after he fought countless years for the kingdom that was _rightfully _his own."

"Borak was a _tyrant._" the Grackle hissed. "He started that dreadful war in which was destined to end with his vile excuse of a life. This forest...this _world _is well rid of him."

Semira's eyes blazed as she slammed an armored foot down hard on the smaller bird. "The _war _may be lost, but my allegiance and loyalty to my fallen King are _not._ I _will _kill the one who did this. No matter the cost. Now..._tell _me what I want to know! _Where _is the daughter of Edryd? _Where _is _Adina?_"

"You ask as if you think she tells me everything. I would not know." Tanana replied calmly with a scowl. She couldn't prevent the brief cry of agony as Semira gripped her tightly between her strong, armored talons.

"_DO NOT feign imbecility!_" the eagle screeched. "You try my patience one time too many. I know you are a Seer! I _know _you know magic! So _tell me!_"

Straining under the pressure of her vice grip, the Grackle glared at her as she gasped out the words irritably. "I..._do not_..._KNOW! _And even if I did, I would never tell you. You could kill me...you could torture me for an _eternity_, and I would still never tell you. And you and I both know there is no one now for you to use against me...so do as you wish. I do not care."

Throwing her to the ground again with a snarl, the eagle growled. "Wretch! _Damn _you! I should have killed you when I killed your brother!"

The painful reminder seemed to spark something within the smaller bird. With a sudden burst of new strength, the bird flapped her beaten wings once and leapt into the air, twisting her body with a yell as her clawed feet swiped at the eagle monarch's face. She hit her mark.

Screeching in agony, the eagle covered the right side of her face with a wing and stumbled to the side briefly, howling out in fury and torment. "AHHH! MY EYE! Curse your pathetic soul, CURSE IT! _KILL _her! _KILL _her now!"

Hissing sharply, Omar and the other bat guard, his brother Jatt, swooped down and prepared to impale the smaller bird with their steel claws. Ducking the blows, and causing the two to slam head-on into one another, Tanana shot to the side and spun again, backhanding them hard with a wing and knocking them to the floor. Seeing her chance, the bird took off into the air and headed for the direction she had previously come to be in the cave. Her wings beat the still air hard as she flew.

She didn't even glance back as Semira's alerting cry sounded off the walls loudly and carried out through the series of tunnels hidden deeper within the lair. Seeing three new bat guards appear up ahead, Tanana quickly swerved and flew down another passage to the left. She knew they had seen her, and could tell they were following close behind. Her main focus was not them, however. It was escaping with her life.

She had lied to Semira. A feat she was not easily known for. She saw fit to do so when she wished, and she was often good at it, but she was almost always honest with those she cared for and could trust. The mother figure of the forest, some called her. A title she took some fleeting joy in. Many sought her for advice and her magic, but her time in this forest was limited. She would find Adina eventually, and she would stay with her until the end. Nothing could break her loyalty to her oldest friend's daughter. Though it saddened her that it was too risky to go and give Edryd and his beloved a proper farewell in their tree hollow, she knew it was best not to.

Snapping from her thoughts, Tanana looked up in time to see a bat guard flying above her. He made a grab for her with his armored feet, but she had slowed down before he could touch her, making him catch the air. The Grackle was now flying in between the guard and his two partners. Growling in frustration, the bat twisted around and stopped himself with his wings, hoping Tanana would accidentally spear herself on his claws. Instead, she quickly dove down and under the bat, flying ahead of them once again.

Looking up, the bat cringed. "Uh oh..."

All three of them gave out yelps, their helmets clanking together loudly, as they slammed into eachother and plummeted to the bottom of the cave, shoving one another off of and away from one another and screeching angrily after the crafty bird.

Sage or not, Tanana had a few tricks tucked away in her mind. She quickly swerved down another tunnel as the scent of cold, night air hit her. The tunnel she was in was becoming brighter much to her relief. She was close to her freedom.

Another screech from behind made her glance back. Right on her tail was a Peregrine Falcon, sharp talons dressed in gold and silver armor and a horned helmet rested on its head. It was Semira's Elite Guard, Fenrir. He chuckled loudly in his throat. "Nice moves, Nay Nay." With a satisfied and sadistic growl, he swiped a foot at her, catching her on one of her legs.

She cringed and bit back a cry as she tucked her bleeding leg closer to her body. Flapping her wings harder, she could finally see the small opening in the jagged stone up ahead. It was a narrow fit, and she had to make this count. Fenrir was closing in, and everything seemed to slow down for the Grackle as she lowered her head and folded her wings. She shot through the small opening just as the falcon's metal talons were about to grab for her once again. They created a brief series of sparks as they collided with the rock and closed down tightly on air. He had missed her, and was now trapped back inside the cave. He was too large to fit through the opening and cursed to himself as he flew in the direction he came.

Tanana had escaped.

Despite the relief that washed over her and very briefly soothed her physical pain, she couldn't slow down or rest yet. She had a very long ways to fly, but she figured if she could escape Semira's lair, then she could make it without too much delay. Once she was far enough away from the forest, she would rest in the least. She needed it terribly, and she could only get so far on her journey without it. She was determined to see her friend once more, and she would find her. Perhaps even more if she was lucky.

Hidden deep within her, however, she knew she had not seen the last of the Golden Eagle queen, and that this new adventure was not over. She only hoped that the future would hold better things, for both her dear friend and her old home.


	9. Chapter 9

**Finally, i've decided to stop being lazy for a few seconds and continue this. Also, after looking up some information, I've heard Wounded Bird is actually a Chihuahuan Raven. I'm not 100 percent sure, but he does have some of the lighter colored feathers under his beak/chin. His bio on the video game says he's a crow though, so forgive me if I switch every now and again.**

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><p>Tail sliding from off the top of her head, Adina began to stir from a light poking and prodding she felt against her snout. Her purple, almost black tongue slipped from behind her lips and lightly brushed over her muzzle. Nothing was there, but as she awoke more, she began to detect a presence in the room. A dry breeze lightly kissed at her scales from the side, obviously from the hole in the wall caused by Jake only hours before. Groaning softly, she flexed her body a little before slowly opening her eyes, coming face to face with a very happy, and more than awake looking Waffles, his hands behind his back.<p>

"Mornin', Miss Adina! Did ya sleep well?" he asked.

After a long yawn, the snake smirked at him tiredly in a kindly way. She didn't particular enjoy being woken up, but she was more than willing to make an exception for the horned toad lizard. He was an endearing little fellow and had quite a talent when it came to making others smile. Well, to Adina at least. No matter what he did, the snake couldn't ever imagine herself becoming angry or irritated with him.

"Well enough, thank you." her smirk slowly turned into a normal smile as she rubbed her eyes a little with the end of her tail. Tasting the air a bit, she could detect the sweet, warm smell of maple syrup and butter. Raising a brow slightly, she looked around, then down at him with a chuckle. "I'm assuming you had pancakes for breakfast."

His grin widened as he tilted his head, tail flicking from side. "I-I did, yeah! But I got some flapjacks fer you too, Miss Adina." he said cheerfully, stepping aside to reveal a small plate of hot, buttery pancakes. She covered her mouth with her tail and stifled a loud chuckle when she noticed a small bite had been taken out of the one on the top.

"Oh. Th-thank you, Waffles." she cleared her throat, a small squeak escaping her throat as she continued to refrain from laughing. "You're being far too kind to me, though. Aren't you still hungry?"

"Nope! I had eight of 'em afore I came here. I brought these fer you."

Unable to stop herself, she chuckled softly and gave his snout a nudge with her own. "How sweet of you. I'll have to think of a proper way to make all this up to you." she said, starting to eat the sweet, delightful treat delicately.

"Ya already are, though, Miss Adina."

Licking her mouth, the snake stopped to look at him briefly with a smile. "Oh? And how am I doing that?"

Grinning again, the horned toad lizard replied simply, "Fer bein' my friend an' all. How else?"

Adina paused again to look at him affectionately. She went back to eating once more, but not without pulling him closer to herself with her tail in a gentle hug, which he, without hesitation, returned before he was released again.

The smaller lizard fixed his hat and began to head for the door. "Wish I could stay, Miss Adina, but I promised to help Spoons with some of his Road Runners this mornin'. I get's to look after them while he fixes the busted gate to his corral." he said proudly.

Chuckling again as she finished the rest of her flapjacks, she offered him a nod and a light salute with her tail. "I'm sure you can handle it just fine. Remember to make sure and have fun while you do, alright?" she offered a wink, pushing her empty plate aside.

He nodded quickly. "A'course, Miss Adina. Ya want me to take that plate back for ya?"

She shook her head. "No, no, i'll take care of it. You run along now."

"O-ok. See ya later!" he called out, running out the door and down the street.

Smiling softly to herself, the snake set the plate on a crate nearby and slithered to the other side of the mill, taking piece of rope and a broken broom stick as she began to work on her new project with the colorful bottles nearby. Briefly, she cast a glance at the hole in her wall and huffed quietly, rolling her eyes as she looked back at her work once again, thoughts starting to go back to the one that had caused it. "Temperamental bugger..." she thought aloud, shuffling a smirk of slight amusement. "_He _should be fixing the wall, not..." she paused, remembering then that she had no idea who would be the one doing that particular job anyway. "Er...whoever." she sighed, using her coils to snap the broom stick in two pieces, crossing them and starting to secure them together with the rope. "As if being stuck in the same cave with him for a night (after he nearly strangled me) wasn't awkward enough. Now I need to deal with him here in the same town for God knows how long."

"Reason for everything." came a voice from behind.

The young snake nearly jumped out of her skin, turning and looking down in surprise, seeing a familiar raven standing there, raising a brow slightly at her. She couldn't believe how silently he managed to get around at times with that crutch. She was about to offer a smile before it had dawned on her that she had just revealed she had met Jake once before. Clearing her throat softly, she offered a meek grin. "Oh...hey, Bird. I, er...assume you just...heard all of that."

The raven blinked in response, offering only that as his yes. He didn't seem as concerned with the information like Adina had expected, which contented her slightly. Lowering herself on her coils a bit, she cleared her throat again, but much more quietly than before. "Um...right. Forgive me. Is there something I can help you with, my friend?" she asked, blinking curiously.

"Told Sheriff Rango about yesterday." he stated calmly.

"Oh. You mean with that...Bill character...?" she asked, cringing slightly.

He nodded once before looking at her again. "Told me to keep eye on you for time being. Until some of the others feel more calm around you, at least."

She seemed to deflate a little at that, frowning a tiny bit in a confused and inquisitive manner. "You mean like...babysit?" she asked, raising a brow slightly.

"Protect." he clarified.

Sighing softly, she looked at him with a more shrewd expression. "He thinks i'm defenseless now, doesn't he?"

"Did not say that." Wounded Bird replied firmly. "He is only worried for your safety, Miss Adina. The rest of the town's as well. Would be he looking after you, but there are more crucial matters causing problems right now."

"Hmm. Regardless, no one should put my safety before their own. Or the others, for that matter. I'm new to this town, Bird. I don't exactly fit in or belong yet." she said, furrowing her brows slightly, though not in a sad way, in a more concerned way.

"Yet you are here." he pointed out. Tilting his head, a glint of sympathy flashed in his eyes and crossed over his features as he offered her a slow nod. "You are kind, Miss Adina. Being part of this town or not gives little reason to not care for another. The Sheriff is not making me do this. I offered."

Furrowing her brows more, the snake lowered herself more on her coils so she was eye level with the raven. "Why, though?"

Blinking again, he shifted a bit of weight onto his good foot to position his crutch a bit more comfortably under his wing. Looking her straight in the eye, he answered her calmly, his voice sincere, "Friends look after friends." he tilted his head. "Think you already know that."

For a minute, all Adina could do was look at him, brows still furrowed softly. Slowly, the corners of her mouth turned upward into a friendly and touched smile. Before the bird could even react, she had wrapped her tail around him firmly and pulled him into a hug, her chin rested lightly against his back.

"Thank you. All of you." she said quietly.

At first, all the raven could do was stand there and blink, his brows raised a bit higher in surprise, obviously not having expected the sudden display of friendly affection. He was not usually prone to hugs, and he could hardly remember the last time he had received one (except for that one time when Gordy had drank more cactus juice than he could normally keep down and had mistaken the taller bird for a pretty showgirl). After another silent, awkward minute had passed between them, and the snake still had yet to let go, he managed to place his free wing lightly over her coils and give them a very light pat.

"No need to." he said finally, looking up at her again when she finally released him, his expression now back to the way it usually was. Her own smile remained however, and she offered him a nod. Before either of them could speak again, a rattle sounded from the other side of the mill, making them both look over.

Sitting on his coils, just inside the door, was a rather displeased and somewhat repulsed looking Jake, who had been unfortunate enough to catch their sociable little display of affection. He despised kindness in any sense and just the smallest notion of it was enough to make him scowl or grimace. He flicked a stray feather, no doubt from a road runner, from his chin with his tongue. Hissing a bit in distaste, he looked at Wounded Bird with his eyes and grunted. "If yer done with yer little love fest, leave, crow."

Shuffling his own look of censure, Wounded Bird turned his gaze away from the rattlesnake, not wanting to make any kind of eye contact with him, and looked up at Adina inquisitively, but also in concern, wanting to hear her thoughts on the sudden demand. He only had the right to remain if she wanted him to.

Thinking about it for a moment, and glancing to the side with her eyes to better resist her urge to roll them, she looked back down at the raven and offered a nod. "It's alright, Bird."

Though somewhat reluctant about it, Wounded Bird offered a nod and hobbled towards the door, making sure to stay as far from the outlaw as possible. When he disappeared outside, Jake rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Adina, who was looking back at him calmly enough, her green eyes opened their usual width with curiosity and her head tilted downward. Had he been more of a sentimental rattlesnake, he might have found her somewhat cute. _Might _have.

"See you survived." he stated plainly.

"I've only been here for a day." she reminded, expression more flat now, almost bored.

"That's my point." he hissed, raising a brow as his tongue flitted from his mouth briefly, tasting the air. "Folk don't take too lightly to our kind 'round these parts. Half expected to see yer hide strung up outside the town to dry." a cruel smirk played at his wide mouth.

Frowning slightly, almost looking like she were pouting, she scoffed quietly. "Oh, and I assume you think such a fate could never await yourself?"

"S'different fer me, girl. I can actually take care a' myself."

A very quiet, very audible rumble sounded from her throat as she turned away from him, looking for some thinner string to use on the bottles. "Why are you here, Jake? Don't you have some poor, defenseless child to maim or disembowel?"

"Was surprised to see ya again is all, let alone catch ya eavesdroppin' on me and the good sheriff." the snake replied, slithering closer. "Needed to make sure I weren't just dreamin' this mornin'." he snorted, moving his head into her peripheral vision so he could see her face better. He tasted the air again and frowned. "Ya don't seem as afraid now as ya should be 'round me, girl. Why is zat?"

She didn't answer, finally finding some string and starting to look it over.

He frowned more, eyes narrowing a slight bit. Moving around to her front and slowly beginning to circle her, he said lowly, "I believe I asked ya a question." His tail lifted a bit and glided underneath her chin a bit. "Would be awful rude of ya to just ignore me, now wouldn't it?"

Shifting away from the touch, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and said somewhat truthfully, "Someone told me I didn't have to worry about you too much is all."

Eyes flaring a bit, his coils were around her tightly once more before she could even try and move out of the way. Shoving his face into her own, snouts bumping one another briefly as he hissed, showing off his teeth, he snarled in her face as a drop of venom fell to the ground. "Well, they were _wrong_, girl!" he scowled, raising a brow and feeling a bit satisfied when he saw the slight glint of terror flash in her green eyes. "I let yer sorry little soul go once, but don't think fer a minute i'll do it again if ya dare try me."

She looked down and away from him again, realizing that that had not been the wisest response. A tight squeeze from his coils forced her to lock gazes with him again, however, and she made her expression much more submissive now than before, even adding a bit of innocence as she made her eyes bigger again, in the same curious manner as before.

His eyes narrowed more briefly as a low rumble vibrated in his throat. With a light snort, his grip loosened a bit more on her, giving her ability to shift about a little if she dared. "Hmf. Not so brave now, are ya?" he said. Slowly, he released her again and backed off a bit. "Fer yer own good, don't get wise to me again." he warned, almost softly, somewhat quiet.

Trying to keep some of her pride intact, she didn't nod or answer, but continued to look at him as he started to turn away.

"Don't know why i'm wastin' precious daylight tryin' to talk to you anyways." he scoffed, rolling his eyes and heading for the door. "Be thankful I just ate and woke up in a good mood. Otherwise i'd have skinned ya afore the townsfolk got the chance." His tail gave a few rattles as he disappeared through the doors once again.

Letting out a puff of air and leaning against a wooden beam with a sigh, the female snake started to reflect on what she had said before and now officially deemed it as a foolish move on her part. Keeping her eyes on the door for a minute, she finally spoke once again, despite it being only to herself. "Temperamental might be a little underrated..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Urrrgh, internet, stop f*ckin' with meeeeee. DX Ok...after being a dumb-dumb by completely missing the character bios on the official Rango website, it turns out that Wounded Bird _is _indeed a crow. I'm not even gonna go back and fix that in the previous chapter, however, since crows and ravens are in the same family. *shakes fist* I might, mind you, _might _have a voice for Adina. Right now i'm considering Emma Stone, but it may change, i'm not sure.**

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><p>Once Waffles had made his way to the corral where Spoons kept most of his Road Runners, he was quite overjoyed to see that one of the female's, a pretty brown one who had affectionately been named Angel of Mine, eggs had hatched, and a tiny chick was settled between her long legs as she pecked delicately at the ground. The chick, a dark grey color, looked over at him curiously with a peep, perking its head to the side. The horned toad lizard grinned and tilted his head as well, mirroring the chick's action. Giving his short tail a brief flick, Waffles took a step to move over and greet the new addition. He was stopped, however, by a paw to his shoulder and a chuckle.<p>

"Not just yet there, young'un." Spoons said, looking over at the two as well with an affectionate smile. "Once yer done helpin' me with the gate,_ then_ you can go over and give 'im a pat."

Waffles looked at the old mouse, eyes even brighter. "Ya mean I can hand ya the nails when ya need 'em?"

Spoons nodded once. "Ya sure can."

The lizard's grin widened briefly before he looked back over to the chick. "He's a right beauty, Spoons. Ya give 'im a name yet?"

Spitting some chewing tobacco clean over the fence nearby, the mouse gave a nod. "Yep. Them feathers are as soft and dark as a rain cloud I reckon. Thinkin' a callin' 'im Storm's Ransom."

"Mighty fine name, sir." Waffles said with a nod, still beaming.

Spoons gave another nod. "Yup. He's gonna be a strong runner someday. Stood right up when he hatched." he turned to look at the lizard, giving his shoulder a light slap with the back of his paw. "C'mon. That gate ain't gonna fix itself now."

Waffles grinned and gave his tail another flick before quickly following after the old miner, eager to get started and lend a helping hand. The two friends began to talk as they began with their work, and as it often usually was, the conversation was casual and pleasant. About an hour into mending the broken gate, however, things had gotten a tad bit uncomfortable for Spoons when Waffles had managed to drag a certain female serpent into topic. The old mouse wasn't as focused as he listened to the horned toad lizard ramble on about the snake, and he ended up bringing his hammer down on his own fingers on occasion instead of the nails he was trying to drive into the firm wood of the gate. Finally, he decided to interrupt. "Um...Waffles..?"

The younger lizard didn't seem to hear him, gazing up at the sky as he held about eight nails in one hand. "A-and didja know that she likes to sing when she's feelin' lonely? She told me that when we was eatin' dinner yesterday. Says it helps ya feel good inside sometimes. And she-"

"Waffles."

The lizard finally turned to him, still smiling brightly, but now seeming curious. "Mm?"

"If ya don't mind, er...could we maybe...talk about somethin' else?" the mouse asked rather sheepishly, almost cringing.

Frowning a bit, Waffles blinked and tilted his head. "But...how come?"

"It ain't nothin' against you, young'un, it's just..." he glanced around nervously, lowering the volume of his voice a bit. "Ya shouldn't put too much trust in that there snake, ya hear?"

Furrowing his brows a little, almost looking hurt even, the lizard blinked again and asked somewhat sadly, "Why not?"

"It's not safe." the mouse said, looking concerned. "She may seem friendly on the outside, but in reality, she's just _waitin' _fer you to turn yer back. Them snakes be clever and quick."

If the poor lizard was confused earlier, he was even more confused now as he rose a brow at the mouse, almost like he was crazy or something. "Miss Adina's pretty smart to me, but...are you tryin' to say she'd..._eat_ me?" When the mouse gave a nod, Waffles rose his brows high, quickly shaking his head. "Th-that ain't true! Miss Adina's a good person, she'd never hurt nobody!"

"Hush up now, sonny! Ain't no need to get excited." the mouse soothed, glancing around again. "I'm just sayin' you should be more careful around 'er, that's all. Tell me this, son, how many snakes have you ever known that didn't pose a threat to ya or anyone else ya know?"

The lizard paused for a moment to think, then looked at Spoons again. "One."

The old mouse rose a brow. "...aside from Miss Adina."

Furrowing his brows a little once more, Waffles looked down at the nails he had in his grasp, picking at one of them with a claw. "W-well...none, sir."

Nodding once, the old mouse gave a, "Mmm-hm." and placed a paw to Waffles' shoulder. "I'm sorry to break it to ya this way, but...there just ain't no good in trustin' the word of a snake, young'un. Just the mere idea of it's dangerous enough."

Poor Waffles wasn't even sure on how to respond to it all. The thought of his new friend wanting to eat him, and worse yet, _lie _to him was almost enough to make his eyes sting with fresh tears. He didn't want to believe a word of it. He didn't. He _never _would believe it. How could he? She was always so nice to him. Then again...Spoons had never lied to him before either, and why would the kindly, spirited old mouse ever have a reason to? The horned toad lizard was so confused, and sad even. He wasn't really sure on what to believe. Various thoughts and questions began to nag his mind, and just as he tried to push them away, new ones appeared. Was Spoons really right? Could he trust Adina fully? _Had _she been trying to eat him in the lake yesterday? Could Spoons be wrong about all this? Maybe he could ask the snake himself about it all. Was that a good idea though?

As Waffles became lost in his mind full of unanswered questions, he almost forgot the fact that the mouse was there. The long, awkward pause concerned Spoons, who gave the lizard a light shake, his paw still being on his shoulder. "You alright there, young'un?" he asked as the lizard jolted from his thoughts and looked at him.

Furrowing his brows again, looking a bit worried, Waffles said nothing for a moment before he did something that wasn't usually like him. "Um...i-is it ok if I go home, Spoons? I...I ain't feelin' too well all of a sudden..." he lied. Though it wasn't really a lie. True, he wanted to be alone for a little while to think about a few things, but the unsettling questions he was thinking about were enough to make his stomach churn.

Tilting his head, it was now Spoons' turn to seem confused. Blinking, he offered the lizard a few nods after a minute. "O' course ya can, Waffles. I can handle the rest myself." the mouse managed a warm smile. "Go on now. If ya start feelin' worse on the way, I think ya should go straight to Doc's instead. Alright?"

Nodding quickly, Waffles handed Spoons the nails in his grasp before getting up, near stumbling as he turned and hurried back towards and into town. At first, he wasn't exactly sure where he was heading. He wanted answers to his questions, but he had no idea on who to ask. Then it hit him. His eyes brightened a bit and a bit of his usual, happy grin stretched across his face. "I know what to do!" he said aloud, quickening his pace a bit. "I'll ask Sheriff Rango! He'll know the answers to my questions." _He just had to, _he thought.

He was so riled up that the horned toad lizard nearly toppled over poor Ambrose, who had been crossing the main street and heading for the saloon for a game of Poker. The owl jumped back with a yelp as Waffles ran by, blinking and staring after him in confusion, calling out in his sophisticated, accented voice in slight amusement and bewilderment. "What in the _world_ is your hurry, dear boy? If you run any faster you'll spin the Earth out of its proper orbit!"

"Sorry, Ambrose!" Waffles shouted over his shoulder, hopping up the steps of the Sheriff's Station and bursting through the door. "H-hey, Sheriff Rango! There's somethin' I gotta...!" he paused and looked around to find the chameleon was nowhere to be seen. He ventured in further for a better look. "Sheriff? A-are ya here? If ya are, say yes. I-if yer not, then...don't say anythin'."

"Sheriff with Jake." boomed a voice from nearby, making Waffles nearly jump out of his skin. He caught his hat quickly as it bounced off his head, then whirled around to see Wounded Bird sitting in a chair nearby, not looking at him as he cleaned one of the shotguns from the rack. This made the lizard slump a bit. He wasn't always the smartest person, but he had enough sense to know that he would have to wait until Sheriff Rango had returned before he could talk to him. Or at least not be around Jake.

"O-oh." he said softly, obviously disappointed, holding his hat in front of him as he shifted his gaze to the floor. "Do you...do you know when he'll be back, Mr. Wounded Bird sir...?"

The crow gave a quiet grunt, still cleaning the shotgun. "Not sure." His brownish gold eyes finally looking over at the lizard. "What you need?" he asked.

Looking up, Waffles paused for a moment as he thought. Wounded Bird was pretty smart too. Smarter than a lot of folks he knew, he had to admit. Maybe he'd have answers to his questions. He shuffled his feet a little before lowering his head again, though keeping his eyes on Wounded Bird. "W-well...it's just that...I was just..."

Turning his head toward him now, Wounded Bird set the gun aside and rose a brow slightly, waiting a few seconds for Waffles to finish before encouraging lightly, "Continue."

Fidgeting a little on the spot, the lizard began to speak, babbling a little as he did so. "W-well...I was talkin' to someone earlier, and...and they...sorta said that I shouldn't trust somebody else. B-but they're my friend too, and I _wanna _trust 'em, sir! But the one who told me _not _to trust 'em has never lied to me before either. S-so I don't really know what to do. Should I trust them or not?"

Raising his brow higher, Wounded Bird gave a few clueless blinks of confusion before shaking the look away and tilting his head. "Take deep breath. Calm yourself. Explain problem more clearly."

Nodding a bit with a sheepish expression, Waffles took in a long breath before just standing there, mouth shut tight and cheeks puffed out like balloons. When he did not let it out, Wounded Bird rose a brow high again.

When Waffles' cheeks started to turn a much bluer color than usual, he held up a wing and said quickly and firmly. "_Exhale._"

The lizard opened his mouth quickly and gasped for air, panting for a moment before looking at the crow again. "I-I was helpin' Spoons out with his busted gate a little while ago. After we gots to talkin' for awhile, I brought up Miss Adina. After that Spoons said he didn't wanna talk about 'er. Wh-when I asked 'im why, he told me..." he stopped, looking down and furrowing his brows a little, starting to feel sad again. "Well, he told me that I..."

Wounded Bird waited a moment or two before he filled in the blanks. "He told you not to trust Miss Adina, because she is snake." he rose a brow again. "Yes?"

Meekly, Waffles nodded. "Uh-huh. A-and I don't know what to do, sir. I-I don't wanna believe a word of it!" he almost felt the sting of tears in his eyes again.

Tilting his head, the crow said simply, somewhat softly, "Then don't."

Looking up, the lizard offered a somewhat confused look. "Wh-what?"

"Don't." Wounded Bird repeated. "Why should you?"

"W-well...Spoons ain't never lied to me before, sir."

"Does not mean he can't be wrong. He does not trust snake. That his own opinion. Does not make it true, even if others believe it." he took his crutch from nearby, standing up from the chair onto his good foot with ease, quite adapt to such now.

Somewhat slowly, Waffles seemed to understand what the crow meant, and he started to feel more hopeful and happy again. He looked down as he took the words in, then looked up at Wounded Bird, feeling he had to ask, mainly to reassure himself some more, "Do...do _you _trust Miss Adina, sir?"

Limping away from the chair, now in full view, the crow stopped a few feet away from Waffles, nodding once after a minute and saying simply, "Yes."

Smiling a little finally, and giving a few flicks of his short tail, the lizard also asked, "S-so ya think I should trust her too?"

Tilting his head once more slightly for a second or two, Wounded Bird balanced on his good leg as he lifted his crutch and pointed the end of it at Waffles' chest. "Ask heart. Not me. Depends on how you feel about her, not others."

A loud shout and a stream of curses made the two turn their heads towards the door. Waffles sunk a little and held his hat in front of him while Wounded Bird rose his brow. Both had recognized the voice to be Jake's. Having heard no gunfire, and seeing two beavers wearing hardhats run by, the crow only assumed the rattler was merely throwing a fit about something. Knowing what Rango had been planning on turning the lower portion of the Mayor's home into, but not knowing when, he figured Jake had just found out for himself and wasn't too happy with it.

"W-w-what's happenin', sir?" Waffles asked nervously, already starting to shake like a leaf. It unnerved him when others got angry, and the thought of this particular unhappy person being Rattlesnake Jake was all the more unsettling.

Wounded Bird kept his gaze on the door, raising a brow slightly as he said plainly. "Contractors hiding. Rattlesnake found out about new theater."


	11. Chapter 11

**Nickelodeon! Why u no make Rango plush toys? FFFFUUU-! **

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><p><em>Clang!<em>

"Oh,_ not_ the piano!" Rango exclaimed as he saw the gorgeous Parlor Grand Piano he had just ordered be shoved outside the double doors to the mayor's building and fall over with a loud sound. Scrambling over, he feebly tried to stand it upright once again, hoping there had been no permanent damage. "N-now hold on, Ja-WHOA!" he quickly ducked as a conductor's stand sailed over his head, missing his hat by half an inch.

"Hold on _nothin'!_" The gunslinger spat, appearing in the doorway and shoving his face in Rango's. "I agreed to_ help_ you, sheriff_, _not listen to them damned _log lickin' rats _rappin' their hammers all the livelong day below my coils!"

Clearing his throat, the sheriff held up a finger. "W-well...the, er...politically correct term for beavers is Castor canadensis-"

"Shut yer bread wallet!" Jake snarled, obviously not in the mood for Rango's fast talk.

"They'd only be workin' durin' the _day, _Jake, when yer patrollin'! Come on now, be reasonable!" the chameleon pleaded, his boots kicking up dust as he continued his weak attempts to upend the piano. He didn't catch the particularly flat and unimpressed expression the rattlesnake was giving him as he watched the sheriff for a moment. More than half the time it baffled Jake that this pathetic lizard had survived so long out here, let alone even came against him at some point and lived to tell the tale. In all honesty, he liked the chameleon to an extent, which was a truth that even _he _hated to admit to himself. Finally, with a deep, heavy sigh, and a simple nudge with his tail, he sat the piano upright again like it were nothing and looked at Rango sourly, not saying anything at first.

Taking in the awkward silence, the sheriff cleared his throat finally and held out his hands. "Now, please, Jake...just hear me out."

"Been doin' that quite a lot lately, and I have yet to feel the least bit satisfied with anythin' you've had to say." the large snake grumbled, his tail giving off a few light, irritable rattles.

"Ok...apparent enough, I get ya. But seriously. Now...to be fair, your section of the house won't be touched at all, and we had planned on doing this _before _we had problems with Artie Crypt's and Lockjaw's gangs."

"And you can _finish _it once i've _left!_" the outlaw hissed harshly.

"We're kinda on a budget here, Jake. The town ain't exactly rich, even with all the water we have now, and it'll cost more if we hold off on-"

"Yer borin' me here, _brother. _"

The chameleon sighed, exasperated, and tried pushing the piano towards the doors again. "What do ya want me to _say_, Jake?"

Blocking the way with his tail, the snake's eyes blazed. "I don't want ya to _say _anythin'! I want ya to leave this place_ be_ fer now an' go shove yer piano up yer green-!"

"Um...should I come by later, sheriff?" asked a voice from nearby, making the two reptiles snap their heads in its direction. Rango blinked for a moment while Jake rolled his eyes with a scowl, turning away, tail already giving off an impatient rattle.

"O-oh...uh, hey, Miss Adina." Rango offered with a meek grin, glancing from her to Jake briefly, then back again. "Err, no...no, I think I can spare a moment. What is it ya needed?"

"Aside from some common sense..." Jake mumbled quietly to himself, ignoring a slight warning look from Rango.

Shaking her head and shuffling a brief smirk from the outlaw's comment, she looked down at the chameleon and asked, "I was wondering if you knew of any place around here where I might be able to get a job. I need to start earning my keep eventually."

Clearing his throat, the smaller lizard took off his hat for a moment to itch his head, taking a moment to think about it. "Huh...there might be one place. If ya head down the main road, you'll come across a place called Deacon's Salvage Shop. He's usually lookin' for an extra hand...er, in your case tail, to haul scrap metal to the junkyard about a mile outside of town. I can't guarantee it'll pay too much, but ya won't go hungry." he smiled. "Considering yer size, you'd be a shoe-in for the job I think."

Offering a soft chuckle, Adina offered a nod. "Well, it's a job at least. I think I could handle it." she turned to leave. "Thank you, Rango." she was about to slither off before pausing, glancing back. "Oh, and good luck with the theater. Once it's up and running, be sure to tell me first so I can get a good seat before they're all taken." she winked briefly and finally left.

"Not that ya'd _fit _in one anyway." Jake called after her with a snort, growling to himself. He looked back to the sheriff and was bewildered as to find the lizard smirking up at him, almost knowingly. Raising a brow, the large rattlesnake scowled and hissed out. "What you simperin' at, boy?"

"If I didn't know any better-"

"Which ya don't."

"-I'd say ya liked her a bit."

His scowl deepening, Jake grimaced with a sharp, brief hiss of distaste, shuddering briefly. "_You_ hush up! Ain't no reason i'd ever like that stringy, pathetic excuse of a serpent. The last thing she needs is a rumor like that spreadin' about."

"The last thing _she _needs?" Rango asked, smirking widening as he rose a brow himself.

Tail rattling harshly, the outlaw narrowed his eyes at the sheriff. "_Yes_, ya damn fool, _she!_ I don't care what these folks think about me, but how do ya think it'll reflect on _her_ if they ever had the idea of us takin' a shine to one another? They already don't want her here."

"I see what yer gettin' at, Jake, but since when did you start carin' all of a sudden?"

"I _**don't** _care! But _you _of all idiots _should._"

Holding up his hands as a sign of surrender, Rango merely chuckled. "Alright, alright, i'll let it alone. I wasn't tryin' to start no rumors, I know how the people 'round here can blow things out of proportion. I was only teasin' ya, Jake."

Grunting, the rattlesnake looked away bitterly and started to turn. "Well, don't. Less ya want some lead lodged in yer brains. Whatever ones ya have, at least."

Putting his hands on his hips, the chameleon rolled his eyes. "Now, where are you goin'?"

"What are you, my friggin' _wife? _None of yer damned business!" he snarled in response, slithering down the street, most likely to go hunting out in the desert or snatch a Road Runner or two from Spoons'.

Rango sighed and shook his head, glancing over his shoulder when he heard footsteps approach, turning and offering Wounded Bird and Waffles polite smiles as they walked up. "Just missed the show."

Wounded Bird turned his head to watch Jake's scaly form disappear around a corner, blinking before stating plainly. "Rattlesnake in denial..."

Tilting his head, Waffles looked up at the large crow, still holding his hat in front of him. "I-in denial of what, sir?"

Before the avian could answer, Rango waved it off. "Don't you go worryin' about it, Waffles, it's not important right now." he looked up at Wounded Bird. "Everythin' alright, Deputy?"

The crow gave a nod, looking down at his friend, usual calm expression still intact. "Thought you might need assistance."

"If anyone should have to deal with Jacob it'll be me. Thanks for yer concern, though." he offered a smile. "Now that yer both here, though..." he glanced over at the piano, rubbing the back of his head. "Ya think you could help me get this back inside?"

Figuring he could spare his bad leg for a few moments, Wounded Bird offered another nod and set his crutch aside, walking over as him and Rango started to shove the large piano back into the building, emitting a whisper of a grunt from the strain. Wagging his short tail briefly with a grin, Waffles helped as well. He couldn't really squeeze between or beside Rango or Wounded Bird, so he just started pushing them both from behind.

Finally, after about five minutes, they managed to get the large instrument back into its original spot. With a heavy sigh and a partial cringe, Wounded Bird sat down on the bench and brought up his aching leg, kneading along it tenderly with the feathers of his wings to soothe the pain as Rango sat beside him. Waffles ran and got the crow his crutch before starting to explore the theater a bit, already quite mesmerized despite the fact it wasn't finished.

"Thanks for that." the chameleon puffed, taking off his hat and dangling it from one hand as he rested it over his knee. "You ok?"

"Fine." the crow replied with another nod. "And no problem."

"Not that it's my place to ask, and not to seem rude, but how do you deal with it all the time? It'd drive me crazy."

"You grow accustomed to certain things after a while." the avian replied, still kneading the soreness from his limb. "Not as bad as you might think. Doesn't hurt all the time now, but it has its days. As do we all."

The chameleon let out a quiet hum as he nodded, glancing down at his own legs for a moment before asking quietly, half hoping he wasn't heard. "How'd that happen anyway?"

"Shooting accident." Wounded Bird replied simply, not minding the question in the least bit, glancing at Rango briefly before turning his attention back to his leg. "Bank robbery, nineteen years ago. Chose wrong moment to walk in the door."

With a slight cringe, the chameleon swallowed a bit, nodding meekly. "No kidding."

Glancing at him with his eyes, the crow stated with a light shrug. "Could have been worse, Rango. Much worse." he looked forward again. "Was a small price to pay for my bad timing."

"No, I agree with you. Definately. Just...not exactly a pleasant thought. Walking into a place you're familiar with, unaware what could be awaiting you when you get inside. It's scary."

Wounded Bird nodded once again. "Makes you think twice before you overlook something. Makes you more observant."

Letting out a soft, halfhearted chuckle, the lizard looked over at him. "That how you became such a good tracker?"

"No." came the simple reply. "Learned from father and grandfather. Father taught me to shoot. Grandfather taught me how to track, among other things. Left home ten years ago. Was a trader for a while. Finally settled down here."

"Ah." the chameleon dipped his head briefly, finally putting his hat back on. "Well, it seems their teachings have payed off a great deal."

"Mm." was the crow's reply of agreement. Turning his head a bit, he glanced down at the sheriff. "What of you, Rango?"

The lizard near choked on his next breath before offering his friend the equivalent of a both surprised and confused look. "What? Wh-what do ya mean?"

"What did you leave behind?"

"Me?" Rango asked, then glanced to the side awkwardly, clearing his throat. He wasn't planning on lying about his life again before he became sheriff. He had learned his lesson from the last time. Still, it wasn't exactly something he was very proud of, being a pet. Trapped inside a glass box for a majority of his existence with no true friends to speak of or talk to. The truth would come out eventually, he knew. Wounded Bird was a good friend and trustworthy person. He'd probably be the best one to start with. Looking back to the taller bird, the chameleon was about to open his mouth when the doors suddenly flung open. Both turned their gazes to see Mr. Snuggles run in.

Out of breath, the porcupine looked to the sheriff. "Sheriff? We got a bit of a problem down at the saloon. Elgin and Turley are goin' at it again, and I saw Buford about to bring a baseball bat to both of 'em afore I ran to find ya."

Sighing, Rango shook his head. "Those two..." he stood up, looking to Wounded Bird. "Think a couple knocks with your crutch'll straighten 'em out a bit, Bird?"

Offering a nod, the crow got to his feet carefully, lifting the bad one off the ground once he had set the end of his crutch firmly to the floor, starting to follow the lizard and porcupine outside. "You hold, I whack."

"Sounds like a mighty fine plan, Deputy."


	12. Chapter 12

**Yay, update time. It probably won't be my best but i'm trying to move some things along here. Oh, and a new character intro this time.**

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><p>As the sun began to set later on that day, Adina had a worn out, yet satisfied smile on her face as she headed back to town around dusk. Her dark form and bright green eyes stood out almost brilliantly against the reddening sky. Fortunately enough for her, Deacon, the old boar that owned the salvage shop Rango had mentioned to her earlier, was able to find it in his heart to give the serpent a chance. Impressed with the work she had been able to accomplish in only half the time most of his former employees had, he was more than happy to offer her a job. Needless to say, she was quite thrilled.<p>

Glancing towards the amber colored sun, now almost completely submerged underneath the distant horizon, she watched it descend in contentment. Things seemed to be looking up for her. Though it wasn't by much, she was happy with it, and far from about to complain. A part of her still wish she had really belonged there, but maybe in time she could earn the town's trust. Until then, she needed to focus on earning enough money to keep her stomach from running on empty. She couldn't be babied by Waffles and Beans forever.

She chuckled softly, smiling a bit more at the thought of the little horned lizard.

Her thoughts were disrupted abruptly when something sharp collided with the back of her neck forcefully, pinning her head to the ground and digging sharply into her scaly flesh, causing her to hiss sharply in discomfort. Panicking, she brought her tail up to try and whip whatever it was away, but all her coils struck was the desert air. Thrashing a bit, she looked up to see a very small, old vampire bat grinning down at her. Its fur was grey and white, not to mention very messy and scraggly, especially around its head and ears. A long beard dangled from its chin, and crossing over its face were two long scars. Its eyes were a pale blue with a milky center, indicating it was most likely blind. She could attempt to move, but the hazardous grip it had on the back of her neck and head would have made it too risky. Its claws were long and jagged, not having been filed properly in what seemed like years.

"Can snaaake _run?_" the bat rasped in a russian accent, chuckling lowly as his now sadistic smirk grew. "I think not. I thiiink..._not_." he chuckled again, one of his eyes twitching. He was far from a normal bat, this Adina could tell. He seemed familiar, in a sense, but she wasn't really sure. Wondering what he wanted and what he was planning on doing is what worried her the most at the moment. "No legs. Snake cannot run _anywhere_." he cackled at that. What a horrible, crazy sound it was.

"Who are you?" she asked calmly, though he could easily tell she was afraid. He could feel the tenseness of her muscles underneath her scaly hide, and even that alone was enough to make him chuckle again.

"Who am I?" he repeated. "Who am _I, _my dear?" he rumbled pleasantly, amused. "Live in same forest, and you do not know me."

Her eyes widened a hair at that. "You're...? But how did-?"

A sharp hiss and a shrill screech in her face was enough to shut her up as he lightly scraped a wing claw across her cheek. Not enough to break the skin, but enough to cause discomfort. "Is not snake's concern." he growled. "You cannot escape fate, girl."

"What are you talking about?" she near ground through her teeth, shifting her body stiffly.

"They will _find you_, stupid_ snake!" _he spat. "Am not being _clear?" _

A sharp stab of fear shot through her chest for a brief moment as she tried to buck him off. He must be wrong. He _must _be. She had been careful. "They don't know where I am. They _can't_ know."

Another screech and the bat sliced her cheek with same claw from before, making her reluctantly become rigid once again. "They _will _know!" he hissed. "Now _listen _to Karkaroff!"

Wincing at the new sting in her cheek from the now bleeding wound stretching across it, she looked at him again. "Must you hold me down? I won't run."

Scowling with a long growl, the bat, now known as Karkaroff, finally let up, making Adina gasp sharply when his claws were suddenly pulled from her flesh. She could already feel some fresh blood trickle down her neck. When the bat landed before her, she raised her head a bit and locked her gaze on his own.

"Stupid snake ready to listen?" he grumbled impatiently, raising a brow. Despite him being blind, he carried himself as if he could see perfectly, his sightless eyes focused directly on her own green ones. When she offered a nod, he grunted. "Semira becoming more restless. Desperate. She will do anything to get her revenge."

"I won't pretend that surprises me...but how do you know she'll find me?"

"Because _I _found you." he snarled. "She will find person who can tell her. Already tried with Lady Tanana."

Raising her brows, the snake felt a twinge of worry for her friend. "She didn't-"

"Shut _UP!"_ he screeched in a shrill voice, then calmed again. "Grackle is alive and well. Trying to find you herself." he rose a claw when he saw her eyes brighten and her mouth open, as if he were threatening to slice her again if she asked anything more. "Came to warn you."

"But...you're certain that...no matter what I do, Semira will...she'll...?"

"She will find the one marked with scent of mate's death...and _kill _the one who wears it." he stated, clarifying her question before she could ask it. He ignored the petrified expression on her face and spread his wings, turning his body slightly to the side but keeping his face toward hers. "Much luck to you, snake." he finally looked away, adding lowly. "Will need it." With a swift flap, he shot into the air like lightning and disappeared into the thick clouds above.

Adina didn't even notice she had been trembling by that point. Her body felt stiff and numb, making her forget all about the tiny wounds in her neck and the scratch on her cheek. She didn't want to believe the crazed old bat, but the fear welling up within her remained. In a swift movement, she shook her head and bolted towards town. She no longer felt safe out there. She needed to be around others. Despite these particular others having a great fear of her, she could care less as of now. It was the closest thing to not being alone that she could manage.

Shooting down the alley between two houses, her head and neck had barely entered the street before a large figure came into her peripheral vision suddenly. Before she had even the chance to slow and stop herself, she crashed into the person and down they both went to the dirt ground. She uttered a quick, automatic apology before trying to get up and flee to her home once again, but powerful coils held her tight and pinned her down roughly, making her yelp and go rigid once again as a rattle sounded sharply in her ear.

"_Watch _where yer _goin', _ya damned fool!" Jake snarled in her face, hissing sharply and showing off his fangs. His brows narrowed more and rose incredibly when he saw who it was in his grip, not even paying mind to the townsfolk in the street as they quickly moved away from the two, some hiding in the nearest building. Scowling with a low growl, his grip tightened. "Wha..? _You _again?" his tail rattled harshly once more. "The _hell's_ yer problem, woman! Why ya keep showin' up around where I a...!" his voice died away when a familiar scent filled the air around him. Flicking his tongue out to taste the air, confirming what he knew to be the smell of blood, he narrowed his eyes again and leaned forward, closer to her, only now noticing the cut on her face and the smaller wounds in her back from Karkaroff's claws. The fire in his eyes seemed to almost intensify as he rumbled lowly, gaze burning into her own. "The hell's gotten to you, girl?"

Still quite unnerved from before, she opened her mouth to speak, but could find no words, not entirely focused on him as nothing but a mere sound escaped her mouth. She gasped and gave off a sharp tremble as his grip tightened again to a near painful degree.

"_Speak!" _he barked.

But she couldn't speak. At least not at the moment. She was too worried, too afraid. And he wasn't making matters any better for her. He could see the fear in her eyes, but a part of him somehow knew that only a fraction of that fear was for himself. This both irritated and...concerned him? No, he thought, he wasn't concerned for this worthless little worm in his grip. He didn't get concerned for anyone. Not anyone other than himself, that was. She then did something he wasn't exactly expecting, however. His grip slackened just a hair, but only out surprise as she dipped her head with a hard, brief sob, shutting her eyes tight as she continued to shiver slightly in his grip. It was the only sound she made after that, as she grit her teeth and allowed fresh tears to pour from her eyes. He blinked at her, expression blank for a moment. Despite his attitude and actions towards her in the past, she had never cried. Not in front of him at least. Not even that first night when he had gripped her to the point of losing consciousness.

Finally, his look hardened and turned angry again, but he didn't release her. Instead, he glanced around, making sure no one was present as his grip became firm once again and he made his way quickly towards the mayor's. She jumped at the sudden movement, opening her eyes and glancing around nervously before trying to escape his grip, which only tightened all the more on the action, making it so she couldn't move much at all aside from her head and neck. He moved into the doors of the large building and silently made his way up the stairs.

Trying to keep her mind off of the more negative possible outcomes this could lead to, she eyed her surroundings, taking notice that most, if not all of the pictures on the walls were hanging crookedly, and were either smashed in or had been shot. She swallowed hard, jumping again when he entered what looked like a short, but wide hallway, a broken desk laying to the side. She looked forward again as he entered what looked like an old office, with a large, stained glass window at the far end.

He released her carelessly finally, moving over to the doors he had just entered and shutting them, locking them as well. A slight shiver going through her body every now and again, she curled up and watched him nervously as he circled around her once again, encasing her in his coils, but in a way so they weren't touching her. More like making a barrier around her. He smelled the air around her wounds before looking at her with a very stern gaze, rumbling out lowly, "Keep still."

Though she wanted to ask why, she didn't, knowing it were probably best not to. She flinched away from him quickly as his tongue suddenly slid across her cheek, tasting the cut there. He hissed and rattled his tail in irritation.

"I said keep still!" he spat, grunting as she complied before starting to carefully, almost tenderly lick at her wound, cleaning it thoroughly, and paying no mind to her cringes and expressions of discomfort. Once he was satisfied with the one on her cheek, he silently moved and started doing the same to the ones on the back of her head and neck.

Had she not been so surprised by the abnormally considerate actions, she might have found herself blushing from the particularly awkward situation with the one she thought despised her most. Her mind soon drifted back to the old bat and what he had said earlier, staring at the wall ahead of her. Though feeling a bit more calm from the feel of the outlaw's warm licks to her smooth, scaly flesh, she found herself not able to pay much attention to the other snake, considering she had finally received the notion he wasn't going to kill her yet.

Appeased finally with the condition of her knicks and cuts, he moved his head in front of her own, very subtly licking away the remaining trace of her tears on her other cheek before narrowing his eyes firmly as he lifted her head with his gatling gun. "Now...you ready to talk yet, or do I have to squeeze it out of ya?" he gave her a silent scowl.

Finally looking at him, Adina furrowed her brows and shifted her eyes away again, saying quietly. "It was just a bat..."

Growling, he nudged her chin a bit roughly with his gun again, making her look at him again. "Yer _lyin'_. Ya ain't sayin' everythin'. Now _speak, _or so_ help me_, i'll toss ya off the balcony an' ferget you was even _here!_"

Sighing deeply, almost seeming irritated, though the fear in her eyes and features was still ever present, she near snapped, "He told me I could _die, _ok? I left home because I _killed _someone while trying to save my father, knowing what could happen to my family and myself if I stayed."

His expression didn't change much, his voice low and as firm as his expression. "Who did ya kill?"

Pausing for a moment, she finally answered him, seeing no point in hiding or lying anymore. "King Borak. H-he was a Golden Eagle who started a war in my forest many years ago to claim the land for himself, and turn any lesser animals into either soldiers or slaves. My father's the head of our Order." she closed her eyes, voice becoming more quiet. "I-I never...intended to kill anyone, I...I just had to help my father. When I...attacked Borak, he...he threw me off of a small cliff nearby a-and he followed. It happened so fast, I...hardly knew what was happening at the time. My coils had...grabbed onto a shard of stone as I fell. As his...talons grabbed me, I just...swung my tail and...and I heard this sound. It was like...bone and flesh just...I-I don't know. The next thing I knew, I was...laying in a creek bed with his...cold body on top of mine."

Listening carefully, Jake let out a long, rumbling hum. "And now they're after ya."

Nodding a bit, she opened her eyes and looked at him again. "His mate is, at least."

Raising his head a bit, his expression still never wavering, he took in the information before finally saying, "Didn't ask fer yer life story...but the way I see it ya ain't done no wrong. Damn bird probably deserved it."

Quieting her voice again, she uttered coldly, "Never said he didn't." she shut her eyes again. "I don't regret it."

Almost smirking at her words, though soon shuffling the idea, he grunted. "Good. Seems ya ain't as pathetic and helpless as ya originally let on."

Sniffling briefly, her tail rose up and wiped at her snout briefly, mumbling, "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Wasn't meanin' it as one, but think what ya want." he replied. Looking towards the window, he saw that the sky had gone dark. "Suppose you best be gettin' along now to that shabby old mill you call a home." he looked at her again and rose a brow. "That really all you could manage, girl? Must be drafty as hell at night with all them boards missin'."

Offering her version of a shrug, she looked at him again. "It's not too bad. I can buy some blankets, maybe some wood to fix the holes in the roof and walls when I receive my pay from Deacon's."

Rumbling again, the outlaw gave a quiet snort before turning and moving away from her. "Go on now. Them cuts ain't gonna heal faster if ya just stand there all night." he cocked his head to the side to glance at her briefly before looking away again.

Nodding a little, she cleared her throat softly and offered quietly in a sincere tone, "Thank you, Jake."

He grunted in response, glancing at her again when he heard her starting to leave. "If it gets too cold in that worthless dump yer residin' in, the doors downstairs are usually unlocked." his look hardened once again and he scowled when she paused to look back at him in slight surprise. "_But, _make sure yer scaly hide stays on the _first _floor. Last thing I need is you gettin' too cozy around me."

Blinking, the black racer offered a tiny smile, the first she had been able to muster since her encounter with Karkaroff, and nodded again. "Thank you, Jake."

Rolling his eyes with a groan, he barked at her, turning sharply. "Quit thankin' me and _leave _already, dammit! And ya best not say a word of this night to _anyone, _or I guarantee ya that you _and _them will be first on my 'To Eat' list!"

Nodding again quickly, the smaller serpent quickly left and disappeared down the stairs. With a growl, the rattlesnake moved over towards the window and watched her darker form move swiftly down the quiet street and disappear into the old mill in the distance. A rumble arose once again in his throat as he said through a scowl, "Stupid girl..." and curled up in the center of the room to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**I dunno where the sudden surge of inspiration came from, but im sort of glad for it. This story's fun to type, though admittedly I suck at it. Oh well. I've written worse, i'm sure. Again, i'm trying to speed the story up a bit, so apologies if it starts getting starts getting a bit fast from here.**

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><p>Normal life in Dirt had carried on like usual over the next week that passed, leaving Jake particularly bored as he patrolled around and throughout the small town. The rival gangs running amok as of late had been pretty well behaved for the past two days, considering the large rattlesnake had made a nice, though distinctly fattening meal out of one of them. The outlaw smirked whilst thinking back on the event. It made no difference to him, however, since the tubby desert iguana had deserved it. Needless to say, the good sheriff was horrified by the action that which had become nothing more than a normality to the snake, being the predator he was. He could easily overlook the chameleon's reaction, however. Rango had summoned him here to help protect the townsfolk from the gangs, and the way he saw it, eating one of them wasn't too big of a deal. It was one less problem for both him and everyone else in town to deal with, and he carried no guilt nor regret for the action. Or an empty stomach for that matter either.<p>

The sheriff had given him, what Jake guessed was, at least, a firm word or two about not doing something like that again. Bah. Who the hell was he to tell the rattlesnake how to do his job? He wasn't as softhearted as that pudgy, green little lizard. Besides, the other reptile had deserved his fate. You don't just get a slap on the wrist for insulting a legend to his face.

Especially when said legend was Rattlesnake Jake.

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><p><em>"C-coward! Hiding behind your tail and teeth!"<em>

_Ratatatat!_

_"AH! Dammit!" cried the fallen outlaw as he scrambled back on the dirt street, all while the other gang members stood back and watched. Not one, but two bullets had been put into the desert iguana's fat leg. He gave the rattlesnake a heated glare as he continued to crawl away, leaving a slight blood trail as he did. "I ought to shoot both a' yer eyes out!"_

_The rattlesnake chuckled in a haughty manner. "Ya'd need yer gun fer that, boy." he said, flicking the broken pistol aside as he slowly moved forward, towards the lizard as he kept trying to move back, away from Jake. The smaller reptile had gall, but the fear in his eyes had not gone unnoticed by the crafty snake. He was young, naive, and just plain old frigging stupid._

_"Stay away from me!" the iguana barked, giving a pathetic kick in the air, nowhere near the snake's body or face. "Damn you!"_

_"Many have already." the rattlesnake snarled, tail rattling harshly as he started to hiss, eyes blazing hotly._

_"N-now Jake?" Rango held out his hands, doing his best to calm his current partner, though he knew better than to get in between the rattlesnake during a confrontation with another unless it were absolutely necessary. "Easy now, I...I think we should just take 'im to jail. He's learned his lesson."_

_"No...I don't think he has." the rattlesnake responded lowly, tongue flicking out. _

_"Y-yer all talk...yer all talk, Jake!" the iguana persisted stubbornly. _

_The rattlesnake chuckled again, grinning a wide, crooked grin. "Believe me, kid...sometimes I wish I was." he bared his fangs with a hiss, ignoring the cry of protest from Rango, and sunk his needle-like fangs into the lizard's shoulder, injecting him with hot venom as the outlaw gave a howl of agony. He glowered down at the pathetic being with a rumble when he released him. It had happened so quickly. _

_Shaking, his body giving sharp twitches as the venom quickly began to take effect, the lizard looked towards the other gang members, who were all shaking in their boots as they continued to watch from a fair distance. "H-help me!" he cried out to them in disbelief, looking up shakily when he heard the rattlesnake give another sharp hiss. _

_"Ain't nothin' they can do fer ya, son." Jake growled before striking once again with a snarl, quick as lightning._

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><p>Fortunately for the huge rattlesnake, the lizard had been a good enough meal to keep his hunger at bay for a couple days. When his stomach was satisfied, often or not, so was the outlaw. He was less moody when he wasn't hungry. He blamed the gang itself for the loss of its partner, really. Had they waited until a little later to start trouble, he could have eaten his breakfast beforehand.<p>

Lost in his thoughts, he barely had time to notice Bad Bill and his gang walk by him, carrying a number of peculiar items, including rope, tape and what looked like a pair of human handcuffs. He scowled and glowered heavily at them, not giving what they had in their possession a second thought. He wanted nothing more than to put a couple bullets in their skulls for what happened a few months ago. They had been nothing but pawns in Tortoise John's game, he knew. They were idiots, and frankly weren't even worth the bullets or the venom.

_Yer one to talk, considerin' you hadn't a clue on the mayor's intentions either, _his conscience told him blatantly, making him growl to himself. He _should _have known. He was still kicking himself for that, having let his guard down.

When a nervous stammer was heard next to him, the snake glanced over briefly. He snorted as Bill offered him a nervous grin, giving him a respectful amount of space as he, Kinski, Stump, and Chorizo went in the opposite direction down the road. Rolling his eyes, which appeared to be glowing in the late afternoon sun, Jake brushed them from his thoughts as he approached the sheriff's office. Most, if not all of the townsfolk were indoors right now (mostly due to the fact Jake was out and about), so it was plenty quiet. He completely ignored Wounded Bird, who was seated outside the station on a chair, carving something out of wood with his knife, and gave the door a hard slam with his tail so his presence was known to all those inside.

A sharp yelp quickly sounded from inside, followed by the thump and clatter of what sounded like a chair and the sheriff himself falling to the floor. At this, the outlaw smirked briefly, not noticing the crow rolling his eyes under the brim of his hat nearby. Rango soon emerged from the building, looking slightly disheveled as he straightened out his vest and hat.

"Tarnation, Jake. Ya near scared the bejesus outta me!" the chameleon exclaimed, raising a hand to rub his head aching head.

"Sleepin' on the job there, _brother? _Didn't think they'd ever pay a _good_ sheriff fer that." the rattlesnake chuckled, smirk ever present.

Scoffing lightly, the smaller lizard crossed his arms and looked to the side, almost sourly. "Whaddya need?"

Jake rose a brow at the chameleon's behavior. "Aw, _buck_ up, sheriff. Yer actin' like a woman after she done just threw a fit." the outlaw grunted, giving the lizard a hard poke in the gut with the end of his gun. "Ya ain't still upset about that dumb son-of-a-bitch from the other day?" he rose a brow higher when the sheriff confirmed such with his silence. Rolling his eyes, the rattlesnake just scowled with a rumble. "Oh...fine, be upset, I don't care. Came here to tell ya there ain't been nothin' to report, so i'm goin' home fer the night." he flicked the chameleon's hat off with his tail, saying in a cruel, mocking manner, though he was going to go off duty regardless, "If that's alright with you."

Rango jerked and scrambled to catch his hat before it fell to the ground, sending Jake a look as he put it back on his head in a huff. "Fair enough, Jacob." he answered plainly, though there was a hint of sarcasm to his tone.

"Oh, don't be so damn sensitive, ya woman." Jake hissed, narrowing his eyes a bit. "Ya shoulda known what you was gettin' into, callin' me in fer help. You gotta problem with somethin' I do, it's yer fault, not mine. You gave me a job to do and i'm doin' it, so I wouldn't complain if I was you."

Sighing, the chameleon finally attained a more calm, casual expression, though Jake could tell it was forced. "Alright, fine. As _uncalled for _as your actions _were_, i'll try and look past it." he looked to the side again, fingers tapping against his arm. "...Still shoulda just arrested 'im, though."

Scowling, rolling his eyes once again, the outlaw gave a rattle of his tail as he raised his voice slightly in a warning tone, "Ya best let this go-"

"Make sure ya have breakfast before a job next time, Jake-"

"How can I find time to shove a damned road runner down my gullet with you poundin' on the front door below me-?"

Wounded Bird cleared his throat to get their attention for a moment, but was either ignored or had just gone unnoticed as the two continued to quarrel with one another.

"You can eat and slither at the same time, can't ya-?"

"Say_ one_ more word and we'll _see, _sheriff!"

"_Quiet._" came the firm demand from beside them, making them both turn sharply on the crow.

"_What!_" both the sheriff and the gunslinger snapped, pausing when they noticed the avian had gotten from his seat and was now looking down the road silently and alertly. Wondering what had caught his eye, the two reptiles looked in the same direction. Waffles was scurrying quickly down the street towards them, the scales on his face near white with fear and worry. Immediately, Rango and Jake knew something was up, though both had different reactions to it. Rango stepped up beside Wounded Bird, whose own look was firm, concerned, and yet calm all at the same time. The chameleon frowned, already becoming on edge just from the look on Waffle's face alone. Jake merely narrowed his eyes as the smaller horned lizard approached, curious as to what the little reptile had to say, but also annoyed slightly. He wasn't the brightest of lizards, Jake could tell. If it was something ridiculous he would let the sheriff deal with it himself.

"Waffles?" Rango asked as his friend approached, seeming winded and frantic. "What's goin' on?"

"Sh-sheriff, please! Y-ya gotta help her!" he cried out, huffing and puffing for breath.

"Who, Waffles? What's wrong?" Rango asked, narrowing his eyes firmly.

The horned lizard fidgeted nervously. "I-I was goin' to see Miss Adina is all, sir! A-and I heard raised voices. Wh-when I looked inside I saw B-Bad Bill and his men gangin' up on 'er. Th-they was sayin' all sorts a' nasty things, sir. Wh-when I saw Bill pull out his knife I-I ran here." he shook his head, trembling with worry as his eyes started to glisten. "Wh-what if he hurts her, sir? Sh-she ain't done no wrong to him afore!"

"Now, don't you worry, Waffles, we'll take care of it. Jake? Could ya help me with this one last-?" Rango glanced behind him, but to see that the rattler was no longer standing there. Blinking, he looked around briefly before catching the serpent's enormous form already making his way quickly down the road. "Thing.." the chameleon finished quietly through a mumble. Standing up straighter, he turned to look at Wounded Bird. "Let's hurry it up, Dep..." he paused again when the crow pushed a shotgun into his hands, already having retrieved them from the rack as he limped off the porch.

Blinking, the chameleon deflated a little, seeing that everyone seemed to be one step ahead of him. "O-okay then..." he quickly followed the bird, Waffles tailing quickly after them.

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><p>It didn't take Jake long at all to get to the old mill, scowling as he wondered why the foolish girl would have let the fat Gila Monster inside in the first place. He tried shoving the door open, but discovered that it had been either locked or bolted shut from the inside. Growling, he slammed the door with his tail, breaking it open quite easily and leaving a nice hole inside the wood wall. Again.<p>

He partially entered the building swiftly, and paused, locking surprised gazes with Bill, who had froze in his actions when the rattlesnake entered. His men had done the same.

Glancing away, Jake couldn't stop his brows from raising a bit when he saw the black snake at their mercy. Her throat and a section of her tail had been restrained in a very snug, painful looking manner within one of the cuffs he had seen them carrying earlier. The other was attached to a post nearby. Her muzzle had been taped shut, sloppily enough from her thrashing, hissing, and jaw snapping, but they had still managed to do it. Stump, the fattest of the two rabbits, and Kinski, the hunchbacked one, were currently trying to hold down her middle so she couldn't move much. It was then he smelled and tasted blood in the air. His eyes wandered to the sharp knife in Bill's claws, blade stained red and wet. Along with some other deep stab wounds amongst Adina's coils, which he now took notice of as well, the letters W and H had already been carved into her side. The contemptible word Bad Bill had been aiming to spell out across her hide became too obvious to overlook.

He glanced at the female snake's face for a moment, who emitted a muffled, frantic plea as her green eyes, wide and wet with tears stared into his own. _Help me, _they easily read.

Snapping his gaze to Bill's with a sharp, enraged snarl and hiss, his brows narrowed fiercely as his eyes blazed with hellfire. The venom was already dripping from his needle-like fangs. The rattlesnake had his coils tightly around the Gila Monster in an instant, who dropped his knife with a strangled yelp. Roaring out a sharp curse of damnation towards the fat lizard, Jake flung him as hard as he could out of the mill and onto the street. Before he even had the chance to get up, Bill felt the coils wrap tightly around him once again before he was lifted up, then slammed to the ground once, then twice, knocking the wind out of him. The bone chilling sound of the snake's rattle near instantly sounded loudly through his ears, as well as another hiss. Looking up, his terrified brown eyes locked on the larger serpent's fiery ones. The Gila Monster gave a hard tremble as he discerned the one word those hellish eyes read;

_Kill._


	14. Chapter 14

**Considering my Writer's Block has eased up a bit as of late, i'm trying to get some extra chapters in before it acts up again.**

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><p>Sheriff Rango, Wounded Bird, and Waffles all came to an abrupt halt when they saw Bad Bill's form fly out of the mill and land roughly on the street. They jumped back sharply when Jake shot right out after him in a fit of rage. Waffles cowered behind the crow and chameleon, the scales on his face still near white as snow. Rango was half expecting the poor lizard to wet himself.<p>

Shaking his thoughts away, he and Wounded Bird quickly headed towards the mill, nearly getting trampled by the rest of Bill's gang as they ran out, fleeing quickly down the street to hide. Sending them slight glares as he watched them for a moment, the chameleon then went inside, stopping short when he saw the female snake. Her eyes were rested and her body was slack, but she was only taking a short moment to relax out of relief that she was safe once again. He cringed at her injuries, but pushed them out of his mind as he went over and started working at the handcuffs. Glancing around, he saw that there was no key for them to be found, so he quickly searched the sides for a small button or catch. Fortunately enough, he found one. When the cuffs released her, she didn't even try to stop herself from falling, emitting a soft groan when her head hit the ground, her eyes fluttering briefly.

Kneeling down, Rango patted her cheeks to try and wake her a bit as Wounded Bird carefully surveyed her injuries, making sure none of them were bleeding too badly. "Yer alright, Miss Adina, we gotcha. Come on now, we best be gettin' you to Doc."

Wounded Bird's beak twitched briefly as he held back a slight scowl at the letters that had been scratched into her flesh. His gaze was quickly averted to the door when he heard a hard smack from outside, followed by a yell of both surprise and pain from Bill. Snapping his attention to the sheriff, he barked sternly in warning, "_Rango..._"

The lizard looked towards the door, brows raising in realization that, with the exception of Waffles, Bill and Jake were out there alone. He glanced at his Deputy and said, "Take care of Adina." before quickly running back outside. "Jake! Wait!"

The rattlesnake slammed the Gila Monster to the ground with another damnable curse, not even looking at the chameleon. "_Back **off**, _sheriff! This don't concern you..." he struck Bill across the face with his tail again, hard. The Gila Monster looked pretty out of it already, panting sharply as a small line of blood trailed from the corner of his mouth to his chin and one of his nostrils. Jake hadn't done any serious damage, yet, but it was obvious the hefty lizard was in a world of hurt right now. The first whack to the jaw had made him bite his tongue on accident, which was the source of blood trailing from his mouth.

Getting a firm look and tone, Rango raised his voice a little, "Jake, _release _him! Let 'im stand trial!"

"This good-fer-nothin' excuse of a reptile has had a _lifetime _of chances, _sheriff!_" Jake spat at the chameleon in distaste. Growling lowly, the rattlesnake slowly moved into a strike position, rumbling out. "Not anymore..." he bared his fangs with a sharp hiss, only milliseconds from finishing the Gila Monster once and for all when a new voice cried out from behind him frantically. Normally, he wouldn't have been effected by cries of protest, but it was the owner of this cry that stopped him.

"No, Jake! Don't!"

Still tense, but calming, if only slightly at the voice, he turned his head to the side to gaze behind him darkly, seeing the shaken, not to mention physically and emotionally exhausted Northern Black Racer looking at him pleadingly. She was breathing softly, but rapidly through her mouth, her brows furrowed and her eyes wide with worry. Sections of her coils were covered in blood, and some of her wounds were still bleeding, if only a little bit. Shaking her head, her voice soft, almost quiet, she said, "Jake...please...not like this."

Rumbling in his throat at her words, the outlaw looked at her for a good long time. Scowling finally, he shoved his nose mere inches from Bill's, his eyes piercing the Gila Monster's as he said lowly, voice shuddering slightly from his fury, "Trial or not...the reason yer still alive right now is because of that woman." he hissed, squeezing Bill more tightly. "_But_...if I _ever _see you so much as _look_ at another soul in a way I don't like, I swear by all the fires of the black pit i'll have ya _strung up_ by whatever balls ya got and let the _buzzards _have their way with ya!" he tossed the outlaw aside like a sack of potatoes, growling lowly as he watched Wounded Bird quickly take charge of the Gila Monster and haul him off towards the Sheriff's station.

Snorting heavily, the rattlesnake looked over at the other three once again. Adina was now laying on the ground, relaxing tiredly with her eyes rested, a slight cringe playing at the corners of her mouth on occasion from her sore, aching wounds. Waffles, whose face was a much more normal shade of color now, was kneeled by her head, stroking over it lightly with a hand. He flinched back a bit when Jake approached, quickly turning his gaze away from the gunslinger.

Jake let out a growl as he looked her over for a long moment before shifting his gaze to Rango, grunting. "Fetch the Doc. Get 'er patched up." he relaxed on his coils a bit. "She'll live."

Nodding a bit, the chameleon quickly turned and started making his way to the rabbit's office, hoping he was there and not drinking away his money at the saloon. As he went, he couldn't help but send a slight, knowing smirk over his shoulder at the rattlesnake, which, much to his delight, went unnoticed.

Though feeling quite nervous about being left alone with Jake, Waffles wasn't about to leave his friend's side until he was sure she'd be alright. Taking his hat off, he toyed with it nervously before glancing up at the large rattlesnake, clearing his throat softly to get the outlaw's attention. Once he received it, the small horned lizard quickly looked down again before uttering quietly, "Th-thank you, Mr. Rattlesnake Jake, s-sir..."

Raising a brow, the pit viper merely snorted, looking away before he offered a subtle nod. It pretty much seemed like he could care less at the moment, but the fact that he remained where he was told Waffles otherwise. True, the lizard had his childish moments, but he wasn't stupid. Smiling a little briefly, he had opened his mouth to ask something before his attention moved back down the road when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Rango, Doc, and Wounded Bird were making there way back. Despite having his flask at hand already, Doc was far from drunk and ready to assist.

Seeing as he had no other reason to stay there, Jake let out a long, quiet hiss before starting to slither down the dirt street in the same direction the others were coming from. He fought the urge to cast Adina a final glance, hardening his gaze as he headed for the mayor's to take a small nap. He was still quite angry and needed a little while to cool down. He wasn't the safest to be around when he got like this and many were well aware of it.

Waffles blinked as he stared after him, almost wondering if there was something wrong or bothering the snake. Not that he would attempt to follow him and ask. He knew he would most likely end up being dinner if he did. The horned lizard soon jolted back into reality when Rango called over for him to come and assist them. Casting a final look down the now empty street, Waffles soon turned and scurried over to the others to offer what help he could.

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><p>"It's a good thing William knows absolutely nothin' about snake anatomy." Doc mused lightly as he finished patching the last of Adina's wounds, setting his suture aside before getting what he needed to start wrapping them up. Seeing that the snake was too large for the rabbit's office, they had to settle for outside, behind the building. "Missed anythin' major by a few feet, i'd say." he concluded.<p>

"Well, that's good to hear." Rango said with a nod.

"H-he didn't...bite 'er or anythin'...did he, Doc?" Waffles asked, still toying with his hat and leaving slight folds and creases in the brim.

The one-eared rabbit shook his head. "No, no. If he'd a' bitten 'er, we'd know. She'd be writhin' about like a fish out of water from the pain. Not to mention she'd be feelin' sick as a dog an' have a bad case of the chills. Yer lucky ya saw 'er when ya did, Waffles."

Waffles smiled a bit in relief, glancing over to look at the quiet serpent, her eyes closed lightly as she rested. He looked away again when he heard Wounded Bird speak up.

"Forgive me, Sheriff Rango." the crow cast his calm eyes onto the chameleon, his expression back to its normally calm stature. "Had promised you I would protect her."

Waving it off, the lizard gave his deputy's shoulder a pat. "Wasn't yer doin', Bird. At least she's not dead."

Grunting as he finished with the bandages, Doc looked up as he stood. "And surprisingly, neither is William after the whole ordeal with Jake. How ya managed to keep 'im from rippin' his entrails out is beyond me." he waved a paw at them in a shooing motion as he started taking off his gloves. "Alright now, you three, I can take it from here. If ya need to discuss it, go somewhere else an' do so. I done all I can fer this young'un. Now she just needs some rest an' quiet."

Nodding, Rango, Wounded Bird, and a somewhat reluctant looking Waffles gave their adieus and disappeared around the corner of the building. Nodding once, Doc looked down at the snake and tilted his head. "How we feelin'?" he asked her.

The snake, having been awake the entire time, but silent, didn't open her eyes as she gave a quiet hum in response. "Can't complain, really. Still hurts, but not like before."

Nodding, the old rabbit gave a slight grumble of approval, shuffling the awkwardness he felt at talking so casually with an animal he usually considered a predator around these parts. "Good, good." he said. "I'll let ya rest fer now," he glanced at the warm sunset in the distance. "I'll come check up on ya soon enough. I'll be happier once I find big enough blanket fer you to use tonight, though." he forced a sheepish chuckle, calming slightly when he heard her offer a few soft ones herself at that. Clearing his throat, he headed for the backdoor to his office, pausing briefly when he heard her say a sincere thank you to him tiredly. He glanced at her once again fleetingly, a brief smile playing on his lips before he offered a 'You're welcome' and disappeared inside.

Soaking up the last bit of heat the setting sun had to offer, Adina cringed and let out a quiet groan as she started to curl up more comfortably. Her muscles felt stiff and sore, and her wounds sent horrible stings coursing through her from time to time. She knew she'd be alright, though. Her father had survived much worse than this on countless occasions. She figured if she was anything at all like him, she would survive, too.

Her head had just barely rested atop of her coils when the familiar sound of a metallic rattle traveled to her ears. Hesitant at first, she opened her eyes slowly, nearly jumping out of her skin when she saw the owner of said tail's face only a foot from her own. The look of displeasure on his face was enough to unnerve her as she recoiled a bit, sinking lower behind a wall of her own scales as he loomed over her. It was a mystery to her how he could be so quiet at times.

Letting out a long, quiet rumble, Jake's eyes trailed all along her body, tongue flickering out of his mouth every few seconds or so as he examined her bandages. Finally, he turned his fiery gaze back to her own, eyes narrowing a bit more. "How in _sam hell_ did you manage to kill an eagle if ya don't even have the sense to look after yerself?" he scowled a bit, almost seeming disappointed in her inability to defend herself.

Blinking, the smaller snake answered after a minute, quietly, "That time was different..."

"_Bull_snake!" the rattler snarled, but calmed a hair when she jumped, though his look remained firm and irritable. He tried a different approach towards her answer. "Different how?" he asked, managing a calmer tone.

She paused again, keeping her voice quiet. "I was fighting for someone else that time with Borak. Not myself. I didn't have time to panic. I had to think about what I was doing. And even then I wasn't sure. I got lucky is all. Not to mention I wasn't exactly backed into a corner."

Growling a bit at her excuse, Jake snapped his head to the side with a bitter expression, not looking at her. "Well, _why_ the hell'd ya let 'em in fer? Explain that to me."

"I didn't. They just came in as I was working on something. I heard the door open, but I didn't know it was them."

"Ya mean to tell me ya couldn't make out four different pairs of footsteps walkin' inside?" he narrowed his eyes further. "Are ya _stupid, _girl?"

Adina lowered her gaze, not saying anything for a moment as she looked to the side. She never took his insults or cruel demeanor to heart, considering that was just the way he usually acted. Though, for the first time, she felt a small ache rise up in her chest at his chiding.

Letting out a long, heavy sigh through his nostrils, Jake started to turn away, no longer able to keep his patience with the female. Silently, he started moving along the dirt ground to leave.

"Jake..." she said softly, brows furrowing a bit as she raised up on her coils a bit, blinking with a slight wince as her wounds gave a protestant throb. "Wait a minute-"

Scowling, he looked at her with a grunt. "The hell you doin'? Lay back down afore them stitches pop back open." he demanded sharply.

His order was dismissed, however, as she moved towards him slowly. It was easy to see the effort was causing her discomfort and pain, yet she continued to approach. "I...owe you a great deal, Jake. For everything."

"Ain't no way you can thank me right now." he rumbled, quickly filling the rest of the short distance left between them in a burst of impatience and anger. "Damn it, woman, have some sense fer once!" he snapped, growling as he rattled his tail slightly. "Stop movin' and rest." he stopped short when he felt the end of her tail wrap weakly around his rattle to stop it from making noise. He looked at it for a moment, blinking, then looked at her and scowled heavily. "Yer tryin' me again, woman..." he said dangerously.

Sighing softly, no longer caring how angry he got with her or what he would do if she didn't listen, she looked at him tiredly. Her brows were still furrowed and her voice soft and gentle. "Jake...please..." she pleaded quietly, moving a bit closer.

Though tempted to move away again, he remained where he was, eyes narrowed with a firm frown on his face. In a single, subtle movement she had pressed her lips firmly against his own in a warm, tender kiss. Her only current way of showing the deep gratitude she held for his actions earlier. Though the motion had made the outlaw stiffen considerably, his expression remained the same as he endured it as long as she held it, eyes closing for a brief moment. He couldn't seem to work up the proper arrogance to return it, however.

Only when he felt her mouth move away from his own did he open his eyes to gaze down at her. She wasn't even looking at him, but glancing to the side as she backed up a bit more to give him space once again. He watched her for a moment, hard expression never faltering as she slipped away from him and back to her spot near the building. He kept his attention to her even as she curled up once again, burying her head in her warm coils and becoming still.

Finally, with a very quiet snort, the large rattlesnake turned away slowly and disappeared around the side of the building, never seeing the small look of hurt upon the black racer's hidden face, or paying the sudden heavier feel to his heart any heed as he left her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Yeeeee! Christmas in a couple weeks, I can't wait. I'm dying to get a hold of those art books, especially The Ballad of Rango. Also, there are a couple new characters in the beginning of this chapter. If I were able to give them voices (which makes imagining them in my head easier) I would choose Sam Neil for Ragnar, and Brendan Gleeson for Shanahan.**

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><p>Soaring over the treetops with two bat guards flying alongside her, Semira glanced towards the setting sun in the distance with a scowl before her keen eyes shifted forward once again. A new scar crossed over her right eye and down her cheek where Tanana had struck her nearly two weeks before. It was a miracle she wasn't blind in it. The grackle would pay for her damning deed in time, but there were more important matters on the eagle queen's mind. With a sharp maneuver of her wings, the large bird veered suddenly to the right, heading towards a very large tree centered in the rich forest.<p>

Gliding easily between branches, she landed silently on the thickest one and turned to look at the trunk, her beak curling into a large smirk as she saw fresh scratch marks around the entrance of a hollow. With a light, haughty chuckle in her throat, she approached it, her smirk widening all the more when she heard a pair of rather unhappy voices on the inside. The bats landed and turned away obediently, awaiting their next command as their master tended to business.

Stepping into the disheveled dwelling, the monarch looked around to see various items scattered about the floor, some of them broken, including scrolls, gems, crystals, jars of various ingredients, books, an overturned cauldron, and even a few skulls here and there. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a mess you've made of this place, Ragnar." she mused, looking to the center of the main section of the hollow.

Standing amongst the misplaced belongings was a large Harpy Eagle, a bird not usually known to these parts. Or this country, for that matter. He turned and looked at her, offering a polite nod and a bow. "My queen." he greeted calmly. A creature of the noble kind he was indeed, leaving most who knew him baffled as to why he worked for an evil creature such as Queen Semira. Evil, however, was not how he saw her, and that was all thanks to the lies she had fed him. A zoo is where he had lived most of his life, and it was from that zoo he was freed by the eagle. He saw her deed as an act of kindness towards him, when in reality it was only to satisfy her own personal benefits.

"I see you were successful." the slightly smaller bird said, pointing a claw towards the figure pinned beneath the grey and white eagle's talons.

Ragnar looked down at his feet, where an old, rugged looking raven with a long beard, bushy white eyebrows, and a torn blue cloak was struggling to get free from beneath them. "Yes, my queen. He put up quite the fight for an old fellow. For a time there, I was afraid I would fail the task to which you assigned me."

"The important thing is that you didn't." she replied, her eyes dead set on the older bird on the floor.

Grunting, the raven sent a heavy glare in the female's direction, saying sarcastically, "Yes, the heavens forbid that you do your _own _dirty work for once." His body gave a sharp jerk as he continued to struggle. "_Damn_ your horrible judge of character, Ragnar! Falling for the trickery of this most unsightly temptress."

Semira only laughed out loud at him, tilting her head as she feigned a charmed looking grin. "Oh, Shanahan, you flatter me. You gave your surrogate daughter the same spirit, humor and wit, I can tell." she smirked in a cruel manner as the raven's brown eyes widened briefly before turning to her own sharply.

Growling and gritting his beak, the old avian near snarled at the queen, "_Where _is she! What have you done with Tanana!"

Chuckling lowly, her smirk remaining, the queen held out a wing as she gave a light shrug. "Now, that _is _a rather interesting question, is it not? A question to which I as well would care to know the answer." Her head remained turned in his direction as she began to lightly pace back in forth in front of him.

"What are you playing at?" the raven scowled, watching her every move. "Give me my daughter back, you deformed _wretch, _or i'll turn you into a flea!"

"Oh, but what good would _that _do when we both have one thing the other desires?"

Growling again, the raven's look of loathing deepened. "Tell me what you want from my hollow and I will give it to you. Just so long as you give me my Tanana back safe and sound."

"Oh, but you misunderstand. I do not want any of your petty jewels or artifacts. I want only you." she paused, giving his beak a playful tweak with her talon.

Grunting, the old bird gave her an odd look, raising a bushy brow as he rumbled out, near impatiently, but curious as to what she meant, "Explain yourself."

Chuckling, the eagle easily balanced on one leg as she looked over the talons on her opposite foot lightly. "What I want from you, Shanahan, is your ability to see whatever you so desire from both the past and present. Your magic could be of great use to me."

Shanahan looked away in disgust, expression and tone becoming grim. "You ask of me to betray my own friends now, after the countless years they have fought for this forest, and our rightful home?"

The eagle scoffed, waving off his theory. "The war matters little to me anymore, old man. Let your foolish friends keep their pathetic forest." she looked at him again as she lowered her other leg, narrowing her eyes as she smirked once again. "No...what I ask of you is to use your magic to find the one who hurt me most in this life. You do this for me, and I will give you your daughter back."

At her words, the raven gave out a rumbling hum, turning away as he thought it over, paying the larger eagle no mind as she started to pace before him again. "You say that...if I find this one soul for you..." he turned his gaze on the evil queen once again. "You will give me my Tanana back...unharmed?"

Chuckling again, the bird dipped her head once, her tone low yet sincere. "You have my word."

Emitting another hum, the raven looked away again, becoming relaxed under Ragnar's grip, looking ashamed as he said calmly, "It will take a few days for me to prepare what is required for the ritual."

Smiling from ear to ear, the eagle narrowed her eyes wickedly with one final chuckle, running a talon lightly through the feather's on the raven's head. "That's a good little birdy." she hissed, satisfied with her accomplishment. Looking at Ragnar, she gave a subtle nod, signalling for the Harpy Eagle to release him, to which he obeyed. "Come, my friend." she then said to the larger eagle as she walked for the exit. "You have done well."

Casting the broken raven a slight look of sympathy, the Harpy Eagle tailed after his queen without question, taking off into the air once she and the two bat guards did. He turned his attention to one as it looked at his queen.

"So, you convinced the old magician to help you, i'm guessing?" the bat rasped, raising a brow.

Laughing lightly, the eagle queen turned to look at him, grinning thinly as she replied in quite the amused sounding tone, "A desperate father will believe anything."

Ragnar rose his brows a bit at the words as she and the bats merely laughed. He cast the hollow one long, final look before it disappeared amongst the branches of the tree once again, wondering to himself if he had just done the right thing.

* * *

><p>The day after Adina's whole ordeal with Bill and his gang, Doc concluded that she was well enough to recuperate in the comfort of her own home. Well, so long as she promised to keep the doors locked from now on and not open them to those she didn't know. Needless to say, it did not take much convincing for her to agree to this. Considering her size, the severity of the wounds Bill had inflicted with his knife weren't all that great. His knife was dangerous to most others, but it would have needed to be double its size to cause Adina serious harm.<p>

It was nearing midnight now, and despite the old rabbit's orders for her to rest, the snake found herself rather restless and unable to commit to such. The happenings at the end of the previous day lingered on her mind, from Jake's harsh words to the feel of her lips pressing to his own. She rolled her eyes as she found herself reflecting upon that kiss. She scoffed. _That kiss,_she thought. _It's not a kiss if the person doesn't kiss back, _her conscience jeered, making her rumble loudly in her throat. Her mind seemed to have a mind of its own at times, and more often than not it pointed out the obvious to her. Even teased her for making decisions that bordered along the lines of imbecilic.

Groaning, she gave the top of her head a hard rub with her tail before turning up the lantern nearby. "Shut _up, _brain." she said aloud, tying a string around the tip of a light blue bottle and setting it aside with the others. She was still working on her rather large project, and found it a momentary relief from the realities of life. As she reached for another bottle, a few light raps sounded at her door.

Turning towards the doors, she rose a brow, knowing it was past Waffle's usual bedtime. She dismissed him as a possible visitor and glided over silently. She didn't want to consider the possibility of it being another maniac out for her blood, though the fear of such a possibility was ever present. Shaking away such thoughts, she figured it must be either Wounded Bird, Rango, or Miss Beans even, who had stopped by earlier to drop off some of her famous stew. One of them most likely had seen she had her lanterns lit still and wanted to make sure she was ok. At least...she hoped that that was the case.

Clearing her throat as she reached them, she called out softly in response to the knocks, sounding a bit tentative, "Wh-who is it?"

At first there was just silence, but then a familiar voice grumbled out, "Was hopin' you'd learned somethin' after what them boys did t'ya."

Adina recoiled sharply in surprise at the voice, brows shooting up as she nearly choked on her breath. _Jake? What could _he _want? _she wondered. Blinking, she cringed after a minute, wondering if he was angry about yesterday or something. Or, better yet, maybe he had just figured out a way she could repay him for what he did. Either way, she certainly hadn't been expecting him to talk to her so soon. Or ever again, for that matter.

She must have been thinking for at least a few minutes without realizing, near jumping out of her skin when he near growled from outside, "Night's not gettin' any younger, girl. Ya gonna let me in, or what?"

Blinking, she cleared her throat awkwardly before starting to fumble with the locks on her door, which hadn't been broken from before, much to her relief. She opened the door for him and backed up somewhat quickly to give him room. He paused, glancing around a bit with his eyes, which seemed to glow in the darkness of the night, before entering. With a motion of his tail, he closed the doors behind him.

Looking down, almost automatically, the snake cleared her throat again and asked softly, "What is it ya need?"

"Been askin' that question fer years..." he retorted silently under his breath, but to himself really as he rolled his eyes. Looking at her again, he moved forward. "What I need from you is answers, girl. Answers to questions that've been drivin' me up a damn wall since yesterday."

Backing up a bit as he moved forward, she stammered lightly, "A-answers? Um...a-alright, I guess. What is it you wanted to ask?"

Rumbling quietly, he didn't answer for a moment or two before glancing away from her and to the side, gazing at the flame flickering in one of the lanterns nearby. "When ya look at me...what do ya see?"

Blinking, Adina offered him her equivalent of a confused look, tilting her head slightly as her eyes shifted to him finally. "Wh...what? What do you mean what do I see?"

Growling, he snapped his head back in her direction, scowling in an impatient, irritated way, his voice raising a hair, "I ain't got time fer yer stupidity, girl. What do ya _see _when ya look at me?"

Sinking a bit under his tone, she shook her head, "I don't know what you mean."

Growling a bit, he shot forward and coiled around her tightly in an instant, cutting off a short cry of surprise, maybe even fear, as he held her fast and firm. Shoving his face in her own, his voice raised further as he became more impatient with her. "Do ya see fame? Money? A_ legend_? _Speak, _dammit! And tell me what ya _see!_" he snapped.

Furrowing her brows, she continued to stammer nervously as she answered as best as she could, her voice somewhat quiet. "N-no. I-I...I just see _you_, Jake. I don't...look at you and think about what you are or...what you've turned into. I just...I-I just see you. Jake. A...big, stubborn rattlesnake with a bit of a temper and a...twisted sense of humor. That's...how you've always been to me. E-ever since that first morning in the cave." she deflated a bit, rigid in his grip, but staying submissive. She had told him straight, and not a word of it was a lie.

All the while she spoke, his eyes searched her own and his tongue tasted the air around her, seeking any minuscule hint of dishonesty. He kept his eyes narrowed, but slowly started to calm when he found none, keeping his gaze locked on her own. Neither of them even blinked. He studied her face long and good, his expression never changing as her own read confusion and deep anxiety, but also sincerity. If she was a liar, though he knew well that she wasn't, then she would be a damn good one at that.

Just as his grip on her started to slacken, in almost an instant it tightened again, but not in a harsh way, though the action still startled her. Before she could ask what he was doing, however, he pressed his lips to her own sharply, muffling a light cry of surprise from the black snake. She didn't even have the chance to break the sudden kiss to ask him why he was doing this before he pushed her head back against a wall of his scales, deepening it all the more.

A warm flush suddenly rose to her dark cheeks, unseen due to the blackness of her scales, before she simply melted into him, closing her eyes as she returned it finally. As if that was all the further permission he needed, Jake deepened it as much as he could, his tail moving back to lock the door with a few soft clicks. Once that was done, his full body began to firmly entwine with her own, not about to let go anytime soon. She didn't protest against his actions as she continued to kiss him deeply, nearly encased within his coils entirely.

Smirking slightly to himself, not breaking the kiss, he saved the last of his coils from wrapping around her so he could dim the flames of the lanterns first. Whether she anticipated it or not, he decided that the night was far from over. Breaking the kiss briefly, he let out a long hiss as he rumbled lowly into her ear, just above a whisper, "You belong to me." before kissing her once again, not about to give her time to speak.

* * *

><p>Just down the road, inside the Gas Can Saloon, Wounded Bird stood at his usual spot against the wall near the door. His wings were crossed lightly and with the extra support behind him, he was able to lift his bad foot off the ground while balancing on the other with ease. His crutch was rested against the wall next to him. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't in the least bit tired. Not that one could sleep with the noisy patrons around him going about their usual business. His eyes opened slightly as groans of disappointment filled the other side of the room, making him turn his head to watch Ambrose pull the winnings from his previous poker game closer to himself with a triumphant smirk. The crow cared not for gambling much. An addictive and risky sport, he considered it, and he didn't have much to lose anyway.<p>

Just as he was about to close his eyes once again, a figure entered the saloon. Well, stumbled, is more like it. The hood on the person's tattered and dirty peach rose colored cloak was pulled up, blocking any views of their face. Wounded Bird swore he could make out the tip of a beak protruding from within. He rose a brow when the smell of blood soon hit his nostrils, making him straighten up a bit as he uncrossed his wings and carefully watched the figure approach the bar counter.

Buford, who had been wiping the wood surface of said counter off at the time, looked up as the figure approached. The cigar in his mouth wilted a bit when he saw it was a newcomer in town, making him look around briefly as it suddenly became quiet. It was like Rango's arrival all over again as all eyes turned on the figure.

Clearing his throat, Buford rose a brow and took the cigar from his mouth. "Is...there somethin' ya needed, sir?" he asked the figure as they stopped.

Placing its somewhat tattered and grimy wings on top of the counter, the cloaked being tilted its head upward, a pair of bright, pale blue eyes locking onto the toad's. He was startled when a female's voice sounded from within.

"Sir...you wouldn't happen to...have anything to eat or drink...would you?"

Before Buford could respond, his eyes widened slightly as the female swayed a bit on her feet before collapsing to the floor in a heap, out cold before her body even made contact with the ground. Near instantly, almost every customer in the saloon was standing around her, murmuring quietly amongst one another in wonder and confusion.

Making his way through the crowd, Wounded Bird limped into view, looming over the fallen animal before kneeling down. He looked over her carefully, instantly knowing it was a bird from the feet and wings alone. Shifting a wing of his own, he moved it forward, his feathers curling lightly around the worn fabric as he pulled the figure's hood back a bit, revealing the Common Grackle's face finally.

Emitting a short, quiet hum, the crow looked up at the one closest to him, which happened to be Ambrose, and said, "Traveled long way. Get doctor."


	16. Chapter 16

**I so choked with the last chapter. I didn't even have to change the rating to M. *headdesk* Hoo boy... Oh well. On with the story.**

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><p>Moaning softly as she began to stir from her slumber, Adina shifted a bit and moved her tail over her head. Before she could consider going back to sleep, as she oh so desired, memories from just hours before began to flash through her mind. Her eyes shot open. Raising her head once again, she glanced around the old mill to discover that she was alone. It was early morning, judging by the brightness of outside. The sun had just peeked over the horizon, it seemed. All was quiet.<p>

_Was it all just a dream? _she wondered to herself. As the question lingered in her mind, she started to look herself over and pay more attention to how she was exactly feeling. In truth, she felt marvelous. Aside from the slight aches in her wounds, as well as some other areas she would prefer not to mention, she was right as rain. Looking up at the ceiling above her head, the idea of her and Jake's little "escapade" all being a dream was near instantly flushed down the drain. A large, crooked hole had been shot through the boards, making her bite her bottom lip briefly in a slight cringe, a small blush flaring in her cheeks.

"Good thing I didn't fix the walls and ceiling yet." she mumbled to herself, yawning and carefully stretching her coils before curling up once again. She glanced around, taking in the emptiness of the mill as her heart sank a little bit. Once again, she was by herself. _What did you expect? _her conscience asked. This time, she wasn't going to argue with herself. She shouldn't have felt surprised at him being gone. Of course it was only a one time thing. _You belong to me. Hmf. He probably tells all the girls that, _her mind mused, making her roll her eyes with a halfhearted smirk. She had no regrets, however. The experience with him had been enjoyable, and she would even go as far as calling it amazing. She knew better than to tell anyone about it, though. The people of this town were just now starting to get used to her, and if they had ever caught whiff of this, she would most likely be demanded to leave.

Shoving the thoughts out of her mind, the snake closed her eyes and rested her head on her coils, deciding to sleep for an extra hour or two before she headed down to the diner to buy her usual breakfast. The one thing she disliked about the town was the size of the meals it usually served, which was less than the appropriate amount of food for a larger animal like herself. She wasn't about to complain, though. She never went hungry, and that was what mattered. So long as her stomach was never completely empty she could cope with it.

A small twinge of worry shot through her stomach when she remembered she was supposed to do some work at the salvage shop today. Not until the early afternoon, but she had a feeling she wouldn't be able to do much. Still, she decided she would at least show up and try to do her work. She had only just gotten the job, she couldn't get fired already due to her little setback.

The sound of her doors opening made her open her eyes again and raise her head up. She looked towards the entrance and near gasped in fright when the silhouette of a large figure came into view, its eyes blazing hotly. From the looks of it, it had a lot of spiky fur on the upper portion of its body. Quickly, she backed up against the wall, hissing quietly in a defensive way. Once the creature entered further, she was surprised to see that it wasn't a creature at all when the doors were closed behind it.

Her look of shock remained, but her features calmed immensely as a familiar pit viper came into focus, eyes narrowed but calm as he carried what looked like a large nest in his mouth. Silently, he slithered closer and set it down before her as he slowly wrapped his body around her own in a firm, yet gentle manner. Blinking, she peered into the nest to see three fresh eggs, possibly from a Road Runner, rested inside. She opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a surprised squeak. She looked at Jake blankly, one brow raising slightly.

Raising a brow himself at her look, he grunted. "What? Not good enough for ya? Ya don't like 'em you can get yer own damn breakfast." he said with a snort before curling the last of his body around her, tail draping over a section of her coils. With a deep rumble in his throat, he then rested his head over the base of her neck, eyes shutting lightly.

Tilting her head, even more bewildered by his behavior, she glanced from him to the eggs, then back to him again, blinking. Her expression softened slightly as a soft, thoughtful hum sounded from her throat. Leaning over, she gave his cheek a soft lick, whispering a sincere thank you before turning to the nest. He merely grunted quietly in response, seeming to roll his eyes underneath his shut eyelids. Delicately, she took one of the eggs in her mouth, swallowing it whole with ease. Licking her mouth lightly, she did the same with the last two before nudging the empty nest aside with her head. With another soft yawn, she let her head rest on a portion of his warm coils before resting her eyes to sleep once again.

She heard him shift a bit, but wasn't about to open her eyes to see what he was doing. Her eyes did open, however, when she felt his head rest atop of her own. She looked up as best as she could, but was only able to catch the brim of his hat. Smiling softly, she allowed her eyes to close once again as he and her both drifted off for a couple more hours of sleep.

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><p><em>"Thank God ya brought 'er to me when ya found 'er. Otherwise there wouldn't have been much I coulda done."<em>

_"Well, Bird here's the one that found 'er, Doc."_

_"Did not find. Collapsed in saloon. Not hard to miss."_

_"Well, either way, the important thing is that ya got 'er here in time. The right nourishment, amount of rest, and a good bath and she should be just fine."_

Tanana could hear the distant voices as she began to stir from her unconsciousness. Her wings felt so sore and stiff that it would be a wonder if she were able to move them at all when she woke. She had flown a long distance, with often, though short lived rests along the way. She ate what she could, but more than half the time she was so focused on finding her friend that she simply forgot. She was so tired, and hungry. She wanted to sleep more, but she also needed to know where she was. She had used the skills and magic her father had taught her over the years to find her way to Adina. She could feel that she was close. Very close.

Clenching and relaxing her talons a bit, she shifted on the bed she had been laid on with a quiet, partial groan. It was then she realized her cloak had been removed, as well as her scarf. All that was covering her was a soft, warm blanket. She gave a minute cringe at the nasty, griminess of her feathers. She desperately needed to preen herself.

When a paw was placed lightly to her forehead she flinched, though she didn't sense that she was in any danger. Opening her eyes a bit, her blurred vision taking a moment to shift back to normal, she blinked and turned them to the side to see who was there. Even that was uncomfortable to do. She blinked when she caught sight of an older, one-eared rabbit looking her over carefully. A chameleon dressed in cowboy duds and a large crow wearing a hat and poncho was standing behind him, peering at her somewhat curiously.

"Well now, there we are." Doc chuckled briefly, tilting his head and removing his paw. "Wasn't expectin' ya to wake at least until this evenin'."

Not really having a proper response, the grackle proceeded to attempt pushing herself over into a sitting position. She cringed the second she moved her wings, emitting a painful grunt once she tried supporting her weight with them. Concerned for her well being, however, Doc stopped her.

"Ah, ah! Not yet, young'un. Get rested up first before attempting to move around." he said firmly, urging her back down, to which she reluctantly submitted.

"Where am I?" she finally asked, voice somewhat raspy, as she turned her head fully to glance at them all.

"Yer in the town of Dirt, miss." Doc said.

"Mud..." corrected Rango, though he was ignored.

Raising a brow slightly, she tilted her head a bit. "I'm in the desert, yes?" Her eyes shifted from one to the other as they all nodded. This confirmed, she almost immediately rose from the bed, stumbling a bit and heading for the door. She was stopped once again by both Doc and Wounded Bird.

"What're you doin'? You can't leave yet, not until yer well." the old rabbit said, a stern tone in his voice and serious expression on his face.

"I'm here to find someone. And I intend to do so with no other setbacks." she replied stubbornly, looking up at Wounded Bird. "Please step aside, if you will."

The crow's expression didn't change, nor did his feet move as he gazed down at her. "No. Rest first, miss. Then you can leave."

"I'm perfectly fine." she insisted.

Frowning, Wounded Bird gave one of her knees a simple, yet firm nudge with the end of his crutch. The second he did this, her leg gave instantly and she fell to the floor on her rump. His gaze followed her as she went down, expression not changing. He hadn't done it to cause her harm. Not in the least bit. He was not that kind of bird. He had only done it to prove his point and show her she wasn't as "perfectly fine" as she had stated.

"Bird!" Rango exclaimed, somewhat alarmed by the crow's action. Doc only chuckled, understanding why the larger avian had done it.

Narrowing her icy blue eyes a bit, the grackle crossed her wings with a quiet grunt, the corners of her beak dropping into a heavy frown at him. "Unnecessary..."

Blinking, Wounded Bird rose his crutch and pointed it behind her, his gaze locked on her own. "Bed. Now."

Realizing the crow was serious, Tanana groaned quietly to herself, feeling like a scolded child. Huffing quietly, she rose to her feet again, feathers flicking up briefly in slight irritation when Wounded Bird helped her. Taking his wing in two feathers, she lifted it off and away from her before walking back over to the bed, not noticing the tiny smirk that had appeared on Bird's face, though it was fleeting.

Doc offered the crow a thankful nod, receiving a subtle one in return before he walked over to the grackle once more as she settled down comfortably on the bed. "Now, just take it easy for a few hours more. Then you can go and wash up a bit. Yer feathers are a right mess, they must be bothering you."

Seeming a bit more content when he says that, Tanana calmed slightly and cleared her throat. "You have no idea, sir."

The rabbit nodded once before raising a brow. "Thought birds cleaned their feathers more often."

"Needs water." Wounded Bird interjected, his golden brown eyes shifting over to Doc. "Will make preening easier. Better result."

"Ah. Makes sense." the rabbit mused. Crossing his arms, he looked over at the smaller bird again. "What's your name, miss?"

Hesitating briefly, the grackle looked at him. "Tanana, sir."

"Tanana? Hm. That's a peculiar kind of name." the rabbit said thoughtfully.

Clearing her throat quietly, the bird nodded. "Well, i've...always considered myself a peculiar kind of person, sir."

Chuckling lightly again, Doc shook his head. "Well, alright then, Miss Tanana. Just relax fer now, you won't be movin' from that bed for a little while." He emitted a pleased hum when she complied, then walked over to get her something for her aching body.

Blinking, Rango turned to look at his deputy. "Ain't that the name of a river...?"

Without looking back at the chameleon, Wounded Bird answered simply, "River in Alaska. Flows northwest to meet Yukon River."

"Ah...i'll, er, keep that in mind." the lizard uttered, glancing at the crow again, a brow raising. "How you know that again?"

His expression turning a little flatter, Wounded Bird sighed deeply through his nostrils, somewhat exasperatedly.

* * *

><p>Eyes fluttering open a few hours later, Adina woke up to the heat of the newer day. The light from outside determined it was around noon time, which was enough to wake her up all the more. Though she hated disturbing the sleeping being wrapped around her, she moved her head out from underneath Jake's. Instantly, he himself stirred and opened his eyes to look at her. By the time he did, however, she was moving out of his coils and towards the doors.<p>

Raising a brow, his tail quickly grabbed the end of her own to stop her before he moved himself in her way, stopping her from moving any further. "And just where d'ya think yer goin'?" he asked suspiciously.

"I have a shift down at the salvage shop today." she said.

Raising his brow higher, he moved his head closer, bumping his snout with her own briefly. "You ain't goin' anywhere. Not 'til them injuries are better."

"I don't want to get fired, Jake."

"Well, you could do better than that job anyways." he rumbled, slithering around her and literally dragging her back to their previous spot, ignoring the slight look she gave him.

Frowning slightly, almost like a pout, she muttered quietly, "Didn't seem as concerned with me moving around so much last night..."

Chuckling lowly with a wicked smirk, the rattlesnake swiped his tongue over some of his smaller fangs briefly. "Girl, if I hadn't have held ya still durin' the time, this mill would look a lot more messy and broken up. Not to mention _you _would be achin' more in yer wounds than yer nether regions."

At that, Adina near flushed so hard that one could almost see it. "You sound so sure of that." Still, she managed a slight smirk of her own.

Grunting, Jake rolled his eyes, smirk disappearing and expression turning firm, eyes narrowing like usual. "Oh, don't play with me. Nearly suffocated ya with a kiss just to keep ya from alarmin' the town." he said. Despite his expression and words, he did press his nose to her own and keep it there for the time.

"Oh, ha ha." she said, voice dripping with sarcasm, pressing her nose back. "Aren't you just charming?"

"Didn't say I didn't like it." he rumbled, fighting the urge to smirk once again, flicking his tongue over her lips briefly.

Emitting a soft, calm chuckle, she gave her head a slight tilt. "I'm still curious as to why you did all this."

"Ya say that like you didn't participate." he said. "And isn't it obvious enough now? Or did ya forget what I said afore I made it official?"

She shook her head, her expression softening considerably now. "I understand_ why_. What I don't understand is...why _me__?_"

The outlaw was silent for a moment or two, though his eyes remained glued to her green ones. Wrapping himself more firmly around her, encasing her in his coils once again, he moved his head over and gave her cheek a light lick. Finally, he rumbled out quietly, almost softly in contrast to his expression, "Yer different." He placed a firm kiss to the corner of her jaw before pressing his nose back to her own. "Ya proved it to me last night. Either yer a hella good liar," his coils tightened a bit. "Or i'm right. I'm leanin' towards bein' right. Ya don't just see me as a legend, an' one of the things I can't stand most in this world is fakes."

Furrowing her brows a bit, she placed a soft, hesitant kiss on his lips before looking at him again. "Surely you could do better than me, though. I'm not much, Jake. I'm not strong, or smart, or even brave for that matter."

"Yer enough." he replied, expression and voice hard and serious, but sincere in their own way. "And ya have yer moments." He used his head to push her own down to his coils. "Now rest. Ya get fired or not don't worry about it." he said, lifting his own once again and keeping his eyes on the doorway, almost as if guarding her for one reason or another, though he was really just thinking to himself.

Sighing softly at his persistence, the black snake smiled and relaxed in him once again, resting her eyes as a small smile played on her lips. She missed her family and home deeply, but was starting to believe that Roadkill had been right in saying she made the right decision. Perhaps now she wouldn't have to be as lonely anymore.


	17. Chapter 17

**Let's see now...where were we...? Ah, yes, I think I remember. I'd like to warn you all, a bit later in the chapter gets a bit...racy. ^^' So BEWAAARE! *makes ghost noises, then is hit with a brick* And i'm not sure if it's true or not, but I heard that WB's real name was Theodore. I don't know why i'm using it, I just think it's...pretty adorable for some reason. I used the scottish term for blue/grey in this as well, which is blae, so I didn't make a typo there, just in case anyone thinks so. And WHOO! Rango won an Oscar! And I missed it because our DVR is a dumbass.**

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><p>Quite early the next morning, after eating her fill of the rich, tasty stew Doc had given her, Tanana was feeling much better than she had when she had first arrived. After feeding on what might have been her third bowl, she couldn't help but ask the elder rabbit what was in the ingredients. To which his response was that it was probably best she didn't know. Blinking with a particularly odd look, she merely nodded and decided the same, swallowing hard as she let it go for the time being. Brushing her shoulder with a wing, then itching it with a grimace, she looked at him near pleadingly. "Would it be alright if I cleaned my feathers now? I don't know how much longer I can stand the grime."<p>

Rolling his eyes with a sigh, the rabbit nodded with a few grumbles. "Ohh, alright, alright." he jerked his head towards the door. "You could either head to the bath house down the road, where I can't guarantee ya won't get some stares from some of the miners if they're there, or head over to the lake. One place is just as sanitary as the other, i'm afraid. So the only difference might be some extra privacy."

Clearing her throat, the grackle nodded with a light smile. "I'll take your word for it. Thank you, Doc." she said, and headed out the door as quickly as her stiff legs could take her.

The heat outside was no better than on the inside, but the sun did feel good on her body. It brought out the blue, purple, and bronze coloring in her shiny, dark feathers. She shook herself off before looking around, finally spotting the lake just outside of town. She had passed it when she had first arrived, but since waking up in the Doc's office, it was hard to tell where was where, considering she wasn't local to the area. She caught a few odd and peculiar looks from some of those she passed, in which she responded by grinning sheepishly and lowering her head a bit. If one could actually see it, she was flushing from the awkwardness. Only then did it dawn on her that she was, in a sense, naked. Her usual cloak and scarf had been basically ruined from the rips, tears, dirt, and dried blood coating it, and it had to be thrown away soon after Doc had taken care of her. This had only added to her humiliation. Not only were the scars on the right corner of her beak uncovered, but her entire body as well.

"Well..." she uttered to herself. "Things can't get much worse."

Trying to push the thoughts aside and ignore the oncoming looks from others, she finally made it to the lake. She didn't even bother to check the temperature, she just hopped in until she was up to her thighs. Sighing in relief, she immediately began flicking water all over her so it soaked into her feather joints, flapping her wings and shaking her head (though not without a cringe or two). Eagerly, she dug her beak between her feathers and preened like there would be no tomorrow. She cleaned under her wings, her back, the bases of her legs, her tail, everywhere she could reach. Never stopping until she felt satisfied with herself. The top of her head was a bit difficult, but she made do with using her talons and brushing it with her wing.

Droplets of water ran down her feathers, and she soon shook the remaining moisture from herself, leaving her feathers much cleaner, shinier and softer looking. Smiling with a much happier sigh, she couldn't stop herself from fluffing her feathers up a bit more, namely the ones on her chest. Why not? It was one of her more "feel good" moments since she had began her journey. Her considerably perkier demeanor deflated quite suddenly, however, when she happened to glance over to her left, at the shore, then back again, only to pause sharply and do a double take. It was then she made eye contact with a familiar crow, who was standing just at the water's edge, having been watching her for god knows how long. With a surprised yelp, she took a step back, only to stumble and fall back into the shallow water with a splash. Sputtering and coughing for a brief moment, her gaze snapped back to his own quickly. His crutch was tucked under one arm while something else, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string, was under the other. His expression was calm, as it usually was, but he did raise a brow quite high at her reaction.

Shaking the wetness from her head, she couldn't help but give a slight huff in his direction, expression turning flat. "How can one so tall be so quiet?" she mused lightly, starting to get up again.

Blinking, Wounded Bird cleared his throat lightly, holding out the end of his crutch to her, offering to help her up. "Apologies, Miss Tanana. Did not mean to startle you."

She dismissed it with a wave of her wing and a shake of her head. "No, no. It's fine, really. I should be more observant." she took the end of his crutch lightly and stood again, walking out onto dry land. "Thank you."

He offered a light nod and a grunt, placing his crutch on the ground once again and offering her the package.

Tilting her head with a slightly confused look, she glanced from it to himself and asked, "What's this?"

"For you." he replied simply.

Raising a brow, though in a more curious manner, she took it from him lightly and carefully undid the knot in the string, removing the paper and revealing a skillfully knitted, dark blae colored poncho with a lighter colored stripe going around the border. Rested atop of the soft, neatly folded attire was a necklace, with a few turquoise stones and a feather dangling from it. The other brow rose quite quickly at the sight, and she looked at him in surprise. "I...thank you, sir. But...why are you giving me this? Surely it would suit you better than myself."

"Too small. Made it for you." he looked down at it and ran a wing over it lightly. "It gets cold in the desert at night. Should keep you warm. Replacement for your old cloak."

"Made it?" she asked, again looking surprised. "You mean you..?"

He nodded once.

She smiled softly, a thoughtful and touched hum sounded from her throat. "You're too kind." Blinking, she looked down at it again. "But...what about the necklace?"

"Something extra." he replied, simply again.

Smiling again, she carefully slipped it around her neck before putting the poncho on as well afterward, delicately taking the necklace out from the cover of the neck hole and letting it lay over her chest lightly. The poncho was very soft indeed, and it wasn't too hot, even for the desert climate. True, it wasn't what she was normally used to wearing, but she did like it a lot. Looking up at him again, she offered another smile. "Thank you. Not just for this, I mean...for helping me, also. I never did get your name before."

Nodding once in response to her thank you, he remained silent for a moment or two before he said finally, a name he himself had not been called for a long while, "...Theodore. Wounded Bird to many in town. May use either one."

Chuckling softly, she offered a nod in return. "Alright then, Theodore. Is there anything I can do for you in return, at least?"

The large crow shook his head lightly. "No, Miss Tanana. Do not need anything in return." He looked back towards town for a moment silently before saying, "Come. Will show you where the hotel is."

"Alright, but I fear it won't do me much good. I have no money to pay for a room."

"Sheriff has already made arrangements for you. Come." he said again, beginning to head back towards town.

The Grackle watched him for a moment, tilting her head with a thoughtful and curious hum before starting to walk after him. She finally caught up after a moment and began walking alongside him, a light half smile on her beak. The expression soon faltered slightly when she was reminded of Adina. She didn't wish to become too sidetracked. Not with how close she was. Or...how close she _felt _she was.

For a moment, Wounded Bird's eyes went to the smaller bird, then forward once again. "Miss Adina is fine, Miss Tanana. Will see her soon enough."

Lifts her head up quickly and gazes at him in astonishment, blinking. "Wait...how did you know I-?"

"Said you had traveled to find your friend. Miss Adina is the latest newcomer since Sheriff Rango first arrived. Question is..." he looked at her again, "Why travel so far in such a hurry? Seems you knew where she was going, and where she would remain after, yet still you follow with haste."

Turning her gaze away from his own, she cleared her throat lightly. "It's...complicated really."

Letting out a deep hum, he looked forward again just as they entered town. "Do not have to tell me if you do not wish. You can trust me, though."

For another long moment the Grackle didn't answer him, but finally let her eyes wander to his face again. "Thank you. Perhaps...later i'll tell you a bit, Theodore. It's a long story." she tilted her head again. "How come I can't see Adina now, though?"

Clearing his throat, he simply nodded and looked at the saloon nearby as they passed. "Preoccupied at the moment..."

* * *

><p>Resting her head atop a section of the outlaw's much rougher, thicker scales, Adina watched Jake with half-lidded eyes and a soft half smile. He was currently licking her own scales clean in a tender manner that surprised even himself, ridding her of any obvious evidence to their previous "mating session".<p>

Smirking lightly to herself, the Black Racer couldn't help but chuckle lightly in her throat as she closed her eyes for a moment, resting them and rumbling contently at the feel of his heated tongue against her soft scales.

His sharp, fiery eyes turned to her as he continued what he was doing. He licked his maw a bit once he was satisfied before lifting his head and looming over her with a low, though nonthreatening rumble. Raising a brow, he asked, "And just what, pray tell, is so amusin'?"

Opening her eyes again, her smirk only widened a hair. "I thought coffee was the usual morning ritual for someone after waking up."

Grinning himself in a devilish manner, he chuckled lowly and trailed the cold metal of his gatling gun along her jawline slowly. "Probably. But maybe I didn't want coffee this mornin'." He flicked his tongue over her lips briefly, grin ever present.

Shaking her head again with another chuckle and rolling her eyes slightly, she brushed her own tail across his cheek before letting it lay over the base of his neck lightly. "So I see." she mused lightly. "Is this what you usually do to wake up before a day of patrolling and shooting criminals?"

Chuckling again, he shook his head. "Not recently. And any other time before that never really mattered to begin with."

Blinking lightly with a curious hum, she turned her head away and said through a light yawn, "What do you mean?" She gave her mouth a lick briefly once she was finished. "Was there someone else before you met me? Not that i'd be surprised."

He snorted at that. "Yeah, _and _no. There was someone else, but she didn't mean nothin'."

Yawning again, not particularly bothered by it, she rested her eyes again lightly. "Well, at least you got your "morning coffee" out if it." She opened one eye, smirking slightly once again. "Was she pretty?"

Scowling a bit, Jake's tongue flicked out of his mouth quickly with a short hiss, his coils tightening around her just a bit more. "She was a whore. A Horned Viper with red eyes. Name was Scarlet. Nothin' else to it." He nudged her head briefly. "Been done with her fer over a year now, so don't go thinkin' too much of it. Probably won't ever see her again anyways. Yer mine an' mine alone now, girl." His tongue brushed over her cheek a few times. "Get some rest. I'm headin' out on my rounds fer the day."

Adina smiled lightly as her tail traced along his coils once he started to slip away from her. "Get some rest? From the sounds of it, i'm guessing you plan on riding me like a mechanical bull the next time you come back." She curled up comfortably and watched him as he opened the door and peered outside to make sure no one else was around to see him slip out.

Letting out a hard laugh, he couldn't help but smirk back at her. "Now _there's _an idea." He chuckled lowly as he easily ducked am old rag she playfully tossed in his direction, gliding out and closing the door behind him.

Huffing softly, but in a good way, the black snake shifted her coils and rested comfortably once again. Not five minutes later, however, a strong, yet gentle breeze blew outside, near rocking the old mill as an echoing rattle sounded through the air. Opening her eyes, she lifted her head and looked towards the door, blinking. The rattle sounded familiar to her, but she knew near instantly by the sound it didn't belong to Jake.

Arching and stretching for a moment with another yawn, the young serpent slithered over to her door and opened it, moving outside a little as her tea green eyes wandered the dusty old town, illuminated by the warm glow of the rising sun. The breeze blew by once again, feeling surprisingly cool on her scales and reminding her briefly of home. With a soft sigh, she paused for a moment to enjoy it before looking around once again when the rattling sounded from the distance, off to her left. She glanced towards the lake just as a golden twinkle caught her eyes, disappearing just as quickly as it had appeared. Tilting her head at it, she waited a moment for it to appear again. The second it did, she began making her way towards the lake, now convinced it hadn't been just a reflection from the water or a figment of her own imagination.

From what she had been able to make out, it was on the other side. She paused momentarily at the water's edge before soon slipping in. She shuddered briefly with a hiss at how cold it felt, due to the cooler temperatures the previous night had brought. She saw the golden twinkle once again, now halfway across the lake. It was much brighter now that she was closer, and bigger, but still there was no visible cause for it.

Slipping out of the water again, finally on the other side, she stopped in the very spot she figured the light had come from. She looked around, blinking as she scanned every direction, seeing nothing but the town and the surrounding landscape so far.

A deep, but warm chuckle from behind made her pause and straighten up quite quickly, however. Following the chuckle, came a deep, southern voice. It was familiar indeed, but she hadn't heard it for a while now.

"Ya know, when someone finds a gold nugget nearly two times the size of their head in the desert, ya'd think their first intention would be to try an' make some easy money off of it."

Grinning thinly, Adina turned around and chuckled at the massive rattlesnake, whose white scales were gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight. "Hey, Wyatt. Where have you been? I was beginning to think i'd never see you again." She moved closer, the large albino snake wrapping her up in his coils briefly in a friendly hug before releasing her once again.

"Oh, i've been around, Miss Adina. I'm an easy soul to miss, however." He chuckled, offering her a wink. "If ya don't know when and where teh look."

She shook her head lightly, smirking. "Still as mysterious as before, I see. Sometimes I still think you aren't real."

He shrugged, smiling in a kindly and amused way. "Don't discredit the theory just yet, my young friend. Yer not the first to think like that."

Shaking her head again, she huffed lightly. "Oh, fine, keep your secrets. Would you like to continue this discussion at the diner in town? I'm starving. I could get you something too, if you'd like."

Chuckling again with another smirk, he mused through them, "I don't think yer boyfriend would be too happy teh see an old rattler like me splittin' breakfast with his girl." He smirk went away and his smile became a bit smaller. "Besides, I haven't been one fer much of an appetite lately." He tilted his head. "That's not why i'm here, though. There's somethin' I need to talk to you about." Again, his smile became smaller, almost...concerned in a sense. "I'm afraid it can't wait."

Frowning softly in confusion, she tilted her own head. "What do you mean? Is something wrong?"

He offered a light nod and a deep, seemingly troubled hum in response. "I know yer just gettin' adjusted to the town, and that yer a great deal happier now than when I first met ya. However, I thought it'd probably be best that I warn ya now."

Furrowing her brows a bit, still awful confused, but now a bit of worry thrown into the mix, she recoiled her head a bit and asked quietly, "What...what do you mean? Warn me about what?"

His smile had diminished quite immensely by then, to the point where it was barely noticeable, nearly replaced by a weary expression. "Yer still in danger, Miss Adina. Awfully so."

Her brows raising a bit, the black snake moved back a bit, away from him. "What are you talking about?"

He kept his gaze to her own, pausing only for a moment before replying, "Semira's goin' to find you eventually, my friend."

The Black Racer went rigid at that, scales almost looking a paler shade than normal as she shook her head lightly, though her eyes never left his face. "Wyatt, I..." She blinked, her gaze turning and seemingly focusing on something that had appeared behind him. Well...some_one._

The albino Rattlesnake lifted his gaze slightly as a metallic rattle sounded sharply and angrily behind him, followed by a venomous hiss. His expression remained calm, however, even as he felt the cold metal of a gatling gun press against the back of his neck.

"Ya got five seconds to tell me who ya are and what yer business is here, less ya want yer soul dragged down to Hell an' presented to the devil himself." A voice growled dangerously into the older serpent's ear.

The white snake didn't seem all to fazed or intimidated. "My soul's been presented to him plenty a' times before already, boy." Wyatt responded, cocking his head to the right and locking his golden eyes onto another angry pair, which glowed as bright as the fires of the Pit itself. "Hello, Jacob." he greeted the other Rattlesnake calmly.


	18. Chapter 18

**Blah. Darn college stuff is getting to me. Spring Break is a blessing. This chapter might be a bit short, so I apologize for that.**

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><p>Narrowing his eyes further with a low, dangerous rumble, Jake pressed the end of his gatling gun more firmly against the elder rattler's neck. "Ya seem quite familiar with me alright, but I sure as hell ain't ever seen you before." He growled again. "The clock's tickin', old timer. Either ya answer my questions, or I stain the dirt with yer blood."<p>

"The only threats that'll make me bow down in submission nowadays are from the Almighty or the Dark Prince himself." He turned to face him so the barrel of the gun as just a breath away from his snout. "Yer words are nothin' to me, Jacob."

Scowling, the outlaw cocked his weapon impatiently, the look in his eyes clearly stating that he meant business and demanded respect. "I could make ya eat them words."

Furrowing her brows, Adina moved a few inches closer to him. "Jake, you-"

"_Stay _out of this, woman!" Jake snarled through a hiss, a few drops of his venom hitting the ground. Though the harshness of his tone certainly startled her and made her recoil, she didn't move back, only paused.

Wyatt rose a brow and gave the outlaw the equivalent of a stern, almost daring look. "Don't get angry with _her_, Jake. And i'd appreciate it if you didn't speak to her in such a manner."

"Teh _hell _with what ya think! Start talkin', boy, or i'll put some bullets in yer bread wallet!" the rattlesnake fumed.

"_Boy?_" Wyatt said through a chuckle, smirking. "Son, I am a helluva lot older than you, I guarantee it."

"Yer tryin' my patience here, old man..."

Wyatt raised his tail slightly and offered what might have been a simple shrug. "Go on an' shoot me. Waste the bullets, I don't care. Ya ain't gonna get along much further in this world with that temper a' yers, son." He nodded once to Adina. "Ask her who I am, she'll tell ya. I already told her what I came to tell her, and there are other matters I need to overlook. So, if you'll excuse me..." he turned and started to slither away.

Jake's brows rose in akin to what might have been shock. Blinking, however, his expression quickly turned to rage as he brought himself up higher on his coils, near trembling in fury as a low rumble sounded through him. "Hey! Don't you turn yer back on _me, _ya damned fool!" He raised his gun higher, about to shoot at him.

"Jake, don't!" Adina cried out, but the sound of a few quick shots shook through her and made her jump. Quickly, her gaze went to Wyatt, who was standing still where he was, fresh, dark wounds deep into his back. However, he did not bleed.

It took a moment for Jake to realize something wasn't exactly right. Raising a brow and tilting his head slightly with a confused grunt, he lowered his tail and watched as the wounds on Wyatt's back silently and quickly closed back up, leaving his shining white scales unscathed. His brows rose a slight hair as the albino rattlesnake turned once again to face him, expression calm but firm. He hadn't been harmed by the shots at all. This not only confused both Jake and Adina immensely, but surprised them to the point where neither could find their voice.

"Now, didn't I tell ya you'd just be wastin' them bullets, Jacob?" the older snake said through a sigh, almost as if he was scolding him.

Shaking himself from his apparent shock, the outlaw scowled heavily and brought Adina closer to himself, holding her in his coils near tightly as he raised his gun again. "Who the_ hell_ are you?" he demanded sharply.

"A friend." he replied lightly.

"Don't gimme that bullsnake, I want a _name._" Jake spat.

Wyatt rose a brow slightly for half a second before finally giving him the answer he wanted. "Wyatt Slaten." He removed his hat with his tail and offered a polite nod before placing it back on his head once again.

Jake scoffed heavily and hissed out, "_Liar. _Wyatt Slaten was one of the greatest outlaws that ever lived. Been dead now well over a hundred years."

The albino rattler gave a slight nod. "Dead, yes, but far from gone. Neither God nor the Devil wants my soul just yet. I'm trapped. Stuck on that fine line between good and evil, along with my other outlaw brethren. Redemption is our path to home. Our true home." he sent a minute glance towards the sky. "One good deed after another, and slowly, we make our way over to the right side of that line. We need to be careful about who we choose to help, though."

The outlaw snorted and glowered heavily at the old rattlesnake. "And say all this complete gubbish_ were _true. What the hell do you want with _her_?" He looked at Adina briefly, then back to Wyatt. "What could she possibly need help with that requires a...damn _ghost's _assistance?"

"Boy, were you listenin' the night she told ya why she had to leave her home in the first place?" He ignored the annoyed hiss and harsh rattling of the tail Jake sent his way at that. "She ain't out of this yet. She's still in as much danger here as she was back at that forest."

"How the hell can that be?" the outlaw rose a brow. "She's thousands of miles away from there, there ain't no way some decrepit old buzzard is gonna track her down."

"With help she _will, _Jake. Semira's already on the verge of finding out her location, if she hasn't already."

Adina shrunk back at the words a bit, eyes widening slightly as she gazed at Wyatt in silence, contemplating his words and the possible methods Semira could have used to find her. Her muscles were tense and that old icy feeling in her head and belly returned quite quickly. If one were to notice easily enough, her scales might have seemed a paler color as well.

Glancing at the Northern Black Racer, and noticing the drastic change in her demeanor, Jake moved his coils more firmly around her and pressed her as close to him as he could, subtly. He near hid her in his coils, all aside from her head and long neck. "And what do ya take _me_ for? _Huh? Helpless?_ What in Sam Hell makes ya think _I_ couldn't protect her?" he scowled, looking at Wyatt once again.

"You alone ain't no match fer them, Jacob. You'll both end up dead if ya try an' fight this by yerselves."

"They ain't gonna lay a claw on her. I'll bet my soul on it." Jake hissed. "They'll all be dead afore they get the chance."

Furrowing her brows slightly, Adina nudged the side of his neck gently with her snout, saying softly, "No, Jake, don't say that. Even you can't know for sure what'll happen."

His attention snapped towards her, eyes blazing and firm. "I _can _and I _do _know_. _Anyone or any_thin'_ touches you i'll rip em to shreds. Long as I still got a breath in my body, ain't nothin' gonna get to ya."

"Uh...Jake?"

"_What!_" The rattlesnake snarled as he whirled on the newer, abrupt voice that sounded from behind, scaring the chameleon so bad he jumped and fell backwards.

Scrambling to sit up, Rango looked from Jake to Adina and stuttered out random words for a moment before he managed to find his voice. "Wh-what are you doin' out here?"

"Sayin' hi to the _pope, _ya idiot! What does it _look _like i'm doin'?" he growled, tail rattling harshly in irritation.

The sheriff opened his mouth for a moment, then instantly closed it, as if he were about to say something, but suddenly figured it probably wasn't the best or wisest answer.

Narrowing his eyes, he rumbled lowly snapped his jaws inches from the lizard's snout. "Ya got somethin' on yer mind, then _say _it!"

Rango jumped again from the sudden action before murmering quietly, as if hoping the rattlesnake didn't hear him. "C-cuddlin'?" He flashed the outlaw a cheesy grin and a nervous chuckle.

Jake rose his brows high for a split second, blinking before narrowing them again, about to start shouting when Adina spoke up quickly.

"We were just talking with...this rattlesnake here, sheriff." She pointed her tail at Wyatt, who seemed almost amused by the situation. "Jake was just on his rounds, and when he saw him he wanted to question him a bit. You know, about the gangs and...whether or not he was here to cause trouble." The snake offered a light smile, thinking she had answered well enough. That was, at least until Rango replied.

"Er...what rattlesnake?" The chameleon asked, blinking in confusion as he looked from one to the other.

Offering confused looks of their own, raising brows high, Jake and Adina looked forward again. Wyatt was, indeed, still there, but even so, it appeared that Rango couldn't see him for one reason or another. Snorting heavily, Jake looked at the sheriff again and pointed his tail at the older snake. "Are ya _blind, _brother? He's right there!"

Blinking again, still looking awful confused, even more so than before, the chameleon looked at the spot good and hard for a long moment before looking to the other two once again. "Uhh...I don't get it..."

Rumbling in his throat again, the sound low and deadly, Jake sent Rango a particularly flat, but heavy glower. "..._Leave._"

About to protest, but again, thinking against it like he did with his words the last time, the sheriff nodded slowly and stood, backing away a few steps. He turned and bolted back to town, obviously beginning to contemplate the sanity of the two serpents as he headed for Wounded Bird's place to ask about it.

Snapping his attention to Wyatt again, Jake spat out, "The _fuck _was that about?"

Chuckling lightly in his throat, though in an empty manner, the older snake shook his head and answered simply, "We can only be seen by those who've seen death and_ intentionally_ caused it. The sheriff's incident with the hawk don't count."

"Yeah? Well, if the sheriff starts actin' strange...strang_er _'round me 'cause of this, I can blame _you _if I end up killin' 'im."

Sighing deeply, Wyatt shook his head again and muttered about something under his breath or another. "Look...i'm just here to do what I came to, and that's to make sure _she _can live the rest of her life without fear. I don't doubt yer strength and abilities, Jake...but I know that you alone ain't powerful enough."

"Then enough with the bullsnake already and _talk! _What is it yer plannin' on doin'?" The outlaw snapped, starting to grow impatient again.

"I'm afraid I can't tell ya that much right now. It's against the rules."

"Rules..." He rumbled out furiously, snapping, "Then what was the point in you _comin' _here! If ya have to help her then _help _her! Stop bein' so damn difficult and mysterious!"

"I've already stayed long passed the time I had originally planned. I don't have time to explain it all now. In time, you'll know, I promise ya that. But, for now," In a small burst of green flames, parts of Wyatt's body seemed to just burn and wither away, revealing parts of his skeleton in some places and even the organs within. The inside of his chest was showing as well, his heart glowing red and beating loudly within the safety of his ribs. His skull was clean and bare, and his golden eyes were still intact, green flames licking up from inside and along the edges of the sockets. "I need to be on my way." His bony jaws clicked lightly as he talked, and small wisps of green flames flew up and disappeared just as they passed his lip bone.

Adina drew back sharply at the sight with a sharp, quiet gasp, near ducking behind the rough coils that wrapped around her more tightly and brought her closer to their owner.

Jake hissed lowly in a defensive way, even as the older snake's body burst into green flames and disappeared in an instant, only leaving a cool breeze in its wake. Once the breeze had settled, the outlaw looked around in caution. "If I had known what I was gettin' myself into when I started takin' interest in ya, girl...i'd have backed out in a second."

At that, Adina couldn't help but feel a small twinge of hurt in her heart. But despite his words, he gave the Black Racer's head a nudge with his own, almost affectionately as his fiery gaze never left his surroundings. "Even though i'd be bored out of my goddamned mind." He looked to her finally, locking gazes with her own. His features softened just a bit, though his expression remained firm, as well as his voice. "Ain't nothin' gonna hurt you, baby girl. Not while i'm still breathin'."

Blinking and offering him a small half smile, Adina gave his lips a long, warm lick. "I trust you, Jacob." However, she did tilt her head slightly and raise a brow. "Baby girl?"

Offering the first smirk she had seen since he had first left her earlier, he let out a dry chuckle in his throat, having remembered the annoying little nickname from the first time he had met her. "Call it as I first see it is all. Let's get you back in town." And with that simple response, he hid her in his coils as best as he could before slithering off towards the mill.


	19. Chapter 19

**Introducing a new character to the story here. He may or may not be a minor character, i'm not sure just yet. Scarlet might make an appearance eventually in the story but again, i'm not sure. I usually imagine Edgar would have a Kiefer Sutherland voice. **

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><p>Edgar Van Horthorst was not a patient bird. Most, if not all, of the time, he preferred that things went his own way; quickly and with no difficulty. He was a Bearded Vulture, and had been raised all his life by a family of utmost wealth. His curled feathers tapped lightly against the curved top of his cane, while the feathers on his other wing adjusted the top hat on his head to keep the sun from his eyes. He was dressed in a dark, Dickens overcoat, and on his feet were a pair of black, expensive boots, shined and polished to perfection. He scowled heavily off to his left as Elgin and Hazel walked by, not at all impressed by their...uncleanly attire. "Commoners", as he usually called them, were not amongst his usual crowd of peers or equals.<p>

Giving off a particularly long, displeased hum, he turned back towards the front door to Mr. Black's, frowning quite profusely as he waited for the spider to come out with the object he had had custom made months prior. Rolling his beige colored eyes and letting out a grumble, he tapped heavily on the door with his cane. "Not getting any _younger_ out here, sir. I supplied you with the materials _months_ ago, I don't think a pocket watch is too complicated to throw together."

Only a few seconds after he spoke did Mr. Black walk back outside, the steampunk goggles still on top of his head. Lifting a spindly front leg, he dangled a golden pocket watch in front of the vulture for inspection. It had a large jewel encrusted in the back, and a top that allowed one to peer through and see the shiny, copper gears working on the inside.

A smirk played at the vulture's beak as he let out a deep, almost greedy chuckle in his throat as he gazed at the treasure. Reaching into his pocket, he began to finger through various bills, counting what he owed the spider before handing the correct amount to him. Pocketing the remainder of his cash, Edgar took the watch and tucked it safely into his cloak and tipped his hat to Mr. Black. "Pleasure doing business with you, my eight-legged friend."

The spider offered a nod before slipping back into his shop wordlessly, not noticing as a couple of the bills Edgar had given him flew back out of his pocket and into the bird's grip. Chuckling again to himself, Edgar snapped the fishing line attached to said bills with his beak before putting them back in his pocket with the rest of his money. "Sucker." Giving his cane a twirl, he waltzed back into the street, fixing his hat and brushing off his cloak as he made his way down the road.

As he passed the saloon, Melonee gave Fresca a light nudge, both of their eyes soon trained on the handsome businessman. Giggling lightly to themselves, they both crooned in his direction, "Good afternoon, sir."

Managing to hold back a grimace, Edgar at least made the effort to give them a polite nod as he lightly pinched the brim of his hat. "Ladies." He looked forward again and rolled his eyes with a sigh when they began to giggle again, louder this time. "I still don't see the point in father's advice to pity those less fortunate…" he mumbled to himself before continuing his walk.

Getting caught up in the town's 'unfortunately underprivileged and scanty' state, he didn't notice Waffles walking out of a nearby alleyway, arms filled with assorted and colored bottles. The little lizard could barely see over the top of them. Only when Edgar's shadow loomed over his shorter form did he attempt to stop. Inopportunely, it wasn't soon enough. Both the horned toad lizard and the larger vulture began to stumble to the side, bottles starting to fall everywhere.

"Hey, watch it!" Edgar snapped, his foot slipping on one of the bottles, causing both he and Waffles to topple over onto the dirt road. Shaking some dust off of him with a scowl, the vulture only just noticed Waffles was on top of him as he began to reach for his hat. Growling, he dismissed his hat for the moment to shove the smaller lizard off of him. "Clumsy idiot!" He barked, eyes narrowing further at a few scuff marks on one of his boots. He snapped his attention to the smaller lizard, who had started to gather up the bottles again.

"I-I didn't mean no harm by it, sir! H-honest, I didn't! I'm mighty sorry about trippin' ya up an' all." Waffles stammered out quickly and apologetically. He was forced to drop his bottles again when the vulture used his cane to shove him back down. Before he knew what was happening, the bird was pressing him harder into the dirt, his scuffed boot resting rather uncomfortably on his chest. His eyes widened a bit at the marks before his gaze went back to Edgar. "D-did I do that? Oof!" He cringed when the end of the bird's cane was jammed into his gut as well.

"_Yes_," Edgar growled. "You_ did_."

"I-I…"

"Do you have any idea how much these _cost_, you bug-eyed idiot?"

Furrowing his brows, Waffle's shook his head helplessly. "N-no, sir. I-I could try and pay ya back, though. If ya need any work done I-I'd be glad to help ya out."

"Oh, you're going to _pay _alright, my friend." The vulture hissed, raising his cane high over his head, as if to strike the smaller lizard. In response, Waffle's eyes grew wide for a split second before he began to shield himself with his arms, preparing for the first hit. Before Edgar could so much as move a muscle, a scaly, black tail whipped around the cane's handle and yanked the unsuspecting vulture back. He soon bumped into something large and smooth, about to snap at whoever it was before his beige eyes locked onto a pair of green.

Hissing lightly in Edgar's face, Adina lifted the cane out of his reach before she said in a warning tone, "Back off, money bags, unless you want your walking stick shoved where the sun don't shine."

Scowling at the female snake, not feeling the least bit threatened by her, he snorted and pushed her face away from his own with a feathery digit. "Mind your own damn business, woman, this doesn't concern you."

"It _does _concern me when you threaten my friends for petty nonsense."

"The only 'petty nonsense' _I _see is laying on the ground behind me, and looming right here in front of me."

Furrowing his brows again, Waffles tried his best to reassure the black snake. "I-it's alright, Miss Adina. I-I shoulda been watchin' where I was goin'. H-he's only actin' this way 'cause I upset 'im."

Keeping her eyes narrowed, Adina looked at the smaller lizard and replied, "He's _acting _this way because he's a _jerk._"

Edgar rose a brow daringly and pulled out a bejeweled pistol from his cloak. "You watch your mouth, bitch. I got enough bullets in here to reintroduce you to your maker, and _you _have enough scales to make me some nice snakeskin boots."

Adina's expression didn't waver, though it did grow more stern after a couple of seconds. She rose a brow high, however, when she noticed the jewels. "Pretty expensive looking firearm, sir. Tell me, are the bullets made from diamonds or gold?"

"You'll find out in about five seconds 'less you get out of my face, sweety pie." Edgar rumbled, cocking the pistol with a clicking sound. "Don't think I won't do it."

"I have a pretty good feeling you won't." She replied, a small smirk almost visible on her features.

"Oh?" The vulture said interestingly through a laugh. "And why's that?"

"Yoo hoo..." Cooed a soft voice from behind him.

Whirling in an instant, Edgar turned his pistol in the direction of the voice. However, he was instantly met with a feathery fist to his face, making him drop his weapon and stumble back. "Ah! Son-of-a-!" He was cut off as the same figure kicked his legs out from under him, bringing him to the dusty road again instantly, flat on his back. He looked up and glared heatedly at the Grackle in which was now staring down at him with her wings crossed.

"Like school on Saturday, Dee-Dee." Tanana said, looking at her friend with a smile. "No class."

The snake grinned thinly, thrilled to see her best friend again. In an instant, she scooped up the smaller bird in her tail and gave her a tight hug. "I missed you, Tanana."

The Grackle near choked on her breath, a few feathers flying loose as she managed to free her wings from the tight coils and lightly return the gesture. She chuckled lightly and smirked, "Of course you did." She gave the snake's muzzle a hard flick. "You didn't think you could run off and get into a bunch of new trouble without me, did you?"

Adina chuckled lightly before releasing her friend, both glancing over to gaze at Edgar, who had crawled off to the side and was now standing up. With a grunt he turned and smirked, holding up his pistol again. "Well, now...which one of you wants to die first?"

Casually, Tanana raised a wing. "Sure, why not? Go ahead and shoot, I don't care."

Though the behavior did make Edgar raise a brow in question, he soon shook off the look and snorted. "Suit yourself." Before Adina or Waffles even had time to react, he pulled the trigger. Instead of a bullet coming out of the barrel, a short stick with a red flag attached to it shot from it instead with a loud click. Of course this baffled the vulture, to the point of looking into the barrel himself after tearing the cursed novelty from his weapon.

Both Adina and Waffles blinked, just as confused it seemed. They both looked to the Grackle in question but only received a coy smirk in response. Adina had always known Tanana had picked up some sorcery and magic tricks from Shanahan, her adoptive father, but never before had she taken him for a raven with a sense of humor.

"What the hell did you do to my-?" _Bang! _Edgar leaped near two feet in the air when his pistol suddenly fired out a real bullet, which blew his hat clean off his head. Not a second later he bolted down the street, wanting to be as far away from the crazy animals as he could. "Witchcraft..." He thought aloud, not about to stop or turn around. "Damn witchcraft is what it is..."

"Look at that male pride go." Said Adina through a chuckle and a smirk, slapping one of Tanana's wings with her tail in their own version of a high five. "You forgot your walking stick!" She called after Edgar, tossing it down the street after him.

Blinking, Waffles soon turned to Tanana as he stood, tail flicking back and forth as a small, fascinated half smile appeared on his face. "H-how'd ya do that, Miss?"

Chuckling lightly, the Grackle looked down at him and replied, "Years of practice, and a nagging father." She winked before looking over her shoulder at the sound of footsteps heading in their direction.

Huffing and puffing as he quickly made his way over to the group, Rango slowed to a stop and straightened up, brushing off his vest and clearing his throat. "Ladies." He greeted with a tip of his hat. "I thought I heard a firearm going off within this general area. Is anyone hurt?"

"Physically, no, sheriff. We were just having a...problem is all with one of the locals. He's gone now." The darker snake explained.

"Problem?" The chameleon rose a brow. "What kinda problem? And who was this gentleman?"

Tanana rolled her eyes with a quiet huff. "Gentleman my tailfeathers..." She grumbled, ignoring the slight nudge Adina gave her and swatting her tail away with a wing.

"Well, he and Waffles here seemingly bumped into each other, literally, while they were walking. He was about to beat him with a cane, Rango. I had to try and get him away from Waffles." Adina said.

The horned toad lizard nodded. "A-and he was gonna shoot Miss Adina if she didn't leave us alone, sheriff."

"Was he now?" Rango said, narrowing his eyes a bit as he pulled out his notepad. "Can ya give me a description of the culprit?"

"He was a...tall vulture. Orange feathers around his neck, white and black on his face. Black and white wings." Adina said, describing him as best as she could.

"Mmhm. Any kind of attire at all?" Rango asked, continuing to jot things down.

Adina nudged Tanana when she heard her giggle. "Fortunately yes." She replied, smirking at the Grackle, who let out a light laugh. "He was wearing dark clothes and a top hat."

"A-and one of his shoes is all scuffed up, sheriff." Waffles interjected helpfully. "That part was my fault." He grinned sheepishly.

"Alrighty then." The chameleon said, soon putting away his notepad and tipping his hat to them again. "Thank you very much girls. And, er...Waffles. I'll let ya know if I hear anythin'. Maybe fer now you should leave the streets, just in case he tries stirrin' up trouble again." He offered a wave before heading down the road towards the sheriff station. He had barely just reached the porch when strong coils grabbed him from behind and held him tight, making him gag briefly. He swore, he would never get used to this no matter how many times it happened. Clearing his throat, he stammered out, "P-punchin' out, brother?"

Snorting, the rattlesnake gave a minute nod. "Yeah. If that's alright with you." He said, in a way that obviously meant he was going off duty whether the good sheriff wanted him to or not.

"S-sure thing, Jake." The chameleon nodded. "C-could ya do me a favor though?"

"No."

"Good, thanks." The sheriff replied, ignoring the flat look he recieved. "Could you keep an eye out for a...richly lookin' vulture while yer at it? He seems to have been causin' a bit of mischief 'round here lately."

Jake grunted, not seeming the least bit interested, though he did ask, "What kinda mischief?"

"Oh, well, y-you know...tryin' to...beat up innocent bystanders with a cane..." He blinked at the look the outlaw was giving him, then cleared his throat again. "Well, he threatened Waffles today, and then he seemingly started harassin' Miss Tanana and Miss Adina fer tryin' to help the poor guy, and then-ack! Wh-what!"

The rattlesnake narrowed his eyes a bit more when Adina's name was brought up and he tightened his grip on the smaller lizard. "What you mean by 'harassin'', _brother?_"

"W-well, Waffles said after they tried helpin' him out the man threatened 'em with a gun, and-" He yelped when he was suddenly dropped to the ground, sitting up and watching Jake begin to slither down the road. "Where you goin'?" He called, though he already seemed to know the answer he would receive. He rolled his yellow eyes and mouthed, 'None of yer damned business.' just as Jake snarled the same words back at him. With a sigh, Rango just decided to wave it off this time, standing and walking up the steps and into the sheriff station.

* * *

><p>"So you and Miss Adina are friends, Miss Tanana?" Waffles asked, taking another bite of the cornbread the Grackle had given him, sitting on a box inside the mill with the bird and serpent.<p>

Tanana gave a nod and a soft hum in response, eating her own piece. "I met Adina when she was just a hatchling. I was about four years old at the time. When we were younger we used to go down to the river and hide in the bushes where we'd throw slugs at the neighborhood bullies."

Adina laughed lightly. "Even when we were teenagers they still never knew what hit them. We got in trouble a lot."

"Well, _you _got away with it at least, Dee-Dee." The Grackle smirked. "'She has her father's spirit.' they all used to say. My dad would make me study spell books for hours whenever I got into trouble."

"Well, just think of it as your way of asking him for extra lessons." Adina said teasingly, tickling her beak with her tail and laughing when the bird threw the rest of her cornbread in her face. "Speaking of which, this isn't the cloak he gave you." She said, brushing the poncho the Grackle was now wearing.

Tanana scoffed and smacked her tail away again, smirking still. "_No, _it's not. My cloak got all torn up and dirty right before I went off on my wild goose chase to look for you."

Adina frowned. "Were you attacked?"

Tanana shrugged, not answering for a second. "You could...say that, yes. Nothing I couldn't handle." She picked up her cornbread and dusted it off, shoving it in her beak before Adina could ask her more about it.

The black snake sighed softly, looking to the side. "Tanana...i'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you into this, too."

"Adina, I was into it all before it even happened." The Grackle offered a half smile. "No matter what situation you get yourself into, i'll be behind you every step of the way, crazy eagle queen or not." She hopped up onto a couple crates and turned the snake's head back in her direction. "You're stuck with me, kid. So you better get used to it."

Adina furrowed her brows, blinking before offering a half smile of her own. "Thanks, Tanana."

The Grackle's smile widened and she offered a nod.

Sighing softly, Adina lifted her head again. "So..." She glanced away for a moment, then back at the bird. "Where _did _you get the new clothes? This isn't your usual style."

Tanana cleared her throat lightly, rubbing the back of her head. "They were a gift is all. The sheriff's deputy knew I needed new clothes, so he gave them to me yesterday."

The Black Racer rose a brow high and smirked once again. "Wounded Bird? Is that so? Hm."

The Grackle sent an odd look in the snake's direction, raising a brow of her own. "...What's so weird about that?"

"Nothing, nothing. It's just...he _is _quite handsome, you know."

Tanana crossed her wings and gave her a flat look. "If you're implying what I_ think_ you're implying...you better not be."

_Bang! _The doors to the mill burst open, scaring Waffles so bad he toppled backwards and off the crate. Adina and Tanana both snapped their attentions towards the door, only Adina not seeming as surprised to see a familiar rattlesnake.

Growling lowly to himself, Jake's fiery eyes locked onto the horned toad lizard and the Grackle, demanding sharply through a hiss, "_Leave!__"_

It didn't take a second command to make Waffles bolt out the door, but Tanana did pause for a minute to give her friend a wary look. Only when Adina nodded did the Grackle walk past the rattlesnake and outside.

"What's up with you?" Adina asked, moving towards him as he slammed the doors shut behind the others.

Turning his gaze to her, he moved forward and coiled around her firmly, almost tightly, shoving his face into her own. "_Why_ didn't you call me?" He growled, scowling.

The younger snake rose a brow and blinked. "...What?"

"When you was in _trouble. _Why didn't ya _call_ fer me?" He asked more harshly, grip tightening a bit more, his tail rattling in agitation.

"Because it wasn't a big deal, Jake-"

"Not a big deal! Don't get stupid on me again, girl! If someone's threatenin' to put a bullet through yer skull then it _is _a big deal!" He snapped at her. "What if that idiotic sheriff hadn't gotten to ya in time? Huh? What then?"

"Jake, he didn't show up until after all that. My friend was the one who-"

"Then what if yer friend hadn't gotten there in time? What would you have done?"

"I...I don't know. I would have kept him from taking his anger out on Waffles, I know that." The black snake replied, tensing briefly as the rattlesnake's grip tightened again.

"You woulda been _dead, _Adina!" He near roared. "Ya woulda been _dead! _And what do ya think _I _woulda done?"

The Black Racer furrowed her brows a bit, tilting her head slightly and blinking. Her eyes searched his own, and she could tell he was every bit as serious as he looked and sounded. He even used her actual name, which was something she didn't hear from him as often as 'girl', 'woman', or even 'baby girl'. Her features softened quite a bit and she moved her gaze down, away from his own. Closing her eyes lightly, she gave his snout a gentle lick and said quietly. "I'm sorry..."

Though his grip remained firm and his gaze remained hard for another moment or two, eventually he eased up on her and let out a long, rumbling sigh, frowning heavily. Bringing her closer, he tucked his head over her own and trailed his cold, metallic rattle down her spine. "Whatever happened to those good ol' days when I just didn't give a damn?"

Adina couldn't help but smile a little at that, nuzzling his throat softly as she emitted a soft chuckle. "Maybe my being stupid and pathetic set off some old, unused instinct inside you that...I don't know. Gave you the desire to shelter and protect someone else for a change."

Jake snorted heavily at that, but he did give her cheek a soft lick. "Interestin' thought." He said, then gave her a deep, almost needy sort of kiss. He broke it after a moment and managed one of his usual smirks. "But I wasn't lookin' fer an answer." He brushed his rattle against her jawline, smirk deepening a hair. "I think you need to be punished fer makin' my 'old, unused instinct' kick in, though."

Chuckling softly again in her throat, Adina kissed him back before locking the door to the mill with her tail and saying, "Now you're just looking for an excuse to mate."

Chuckling lowly himself, Jake flashed her a toothy half grin, his coils tightening around her again and his rattle trailing lower down her body. "As if I needed an excuse."


	20. Chapter 20

**Yaaay, update. Writer's Block and Artist's Block has been a bitch lately. Anyway, Fenrir makes a comeback. Him and his sexy Daran Norris voice. Also, there will be some smut later on in the chapter, so this chapter shall be rated M. Muahaha.**

* * *

><p>As the sun began to set later that day, Mr. Horthorst had already packed up his things and was ready to begin his journey back home. "'Mingle with the commoners.' father said. 'See what they have to offer.' he said. That's the last time I listen to the old man's advice." Edgar grumbled to himself, frowning heavily down at his ruined boots before looking up once again, snapping the reins in his grip with a crack. The team of white Road Runners pulling his carriage began to speed up more. "I should have never moved away from Hog Grit. May the Devil take my soul if I ever decide to willingly set foot in that shanty town again. Damned Dirt...I hope it burns to the ground one of these days."<p>

"Perhaps that can be arranged..." Said a coy voice, coming from seemingly everywhere around him.

Snapping his head up, Edgar glanced over his shoulder just in time to see a blur of silver whiz by, slamming into his carriage and knocking it over onto its side, quite intentionally. The vulture let out a startled yelp as he and his team of Runners spilled off to the side, landing in the dirt. Startled and frantic, the poor Road Runners scrambled to their feet with trills of alarm and stampeded off into the desert.

Pushing himself up a bit, shaking away his slight disorientation, the vulture called out to his team, but it was in vain. Furious, he turned on whomever had done all of this, already reaching for his pistol. "You crazy son-of-a-bitch, you could have _killed _me! I'm going to-!" He was cut off abruptly by a sharp demand to be quiet and a blow to his gut from a pair of armored talons. Within a couple seconds, said talons had already pinned him to the ground harshly. Edgar had to grimace at the odd smell coming off of the metallic claws, but he didn't dare complain. "Wh-what are you doing! Release me!" He demanded.

"Shut up, you pompous jackass." The Peregrine Falcon scowled, though it was hard to tell with the helmet he was wearing. "If I was going to end your worthless little life you would be writhing on the ground in agony by now."

Grunting, Edgar scowled up at him and proceeded to struggle. "What the hell do you want with me? Money? Look, whatever price you're lookin' for, my father will pay it."

The falcon let out a harsh laugh, shaking his head. "No, no, you misunderstand. I don't want money. I'm just looking for information is all."

"And what..."information" could _I _possibly have that _you _want?" The vulture asked.

"Patience, my avian friend, I was getting to that. And I suggest you stop struggling. The only thing you will accomplish by doing so is messing up that collar you seem to have taken such care in starching."

The smaller bird snorted, grimacing again. "What is that damned _smell?_"

"I believe you are in no position to _ask_ questions, only answer them." The falcon jeered, but did answer him after a moment. "Though I suppose I could tell you. I polish my armor daily, you see, but at the end of every good shining, I like to dip my claws in poison." He smirked, just brushing one of said claws lightly through the vulture's quills. "Gives me quite the advantage against enemies. Wouldn't you say?."

Edgar scowled, almost growled up at the falcon. "Will you just get to the point you great, ugly brute? Spit it out!"

The falcon scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Temper, temper. You rich types really need to learn your manners." He shook his head. "I'm looking for a snake. Black and white scales, green eyes. Her name is Adina. Know anything about her?"

Edgar rose his brows a bit at that, then slowly lowered one of them, cocking his head to the side. "I might... What's in it for me, though?"

"Hmm. How about I _not _rip out your entrails and string you up by that _ridiculously _long neck with them?" The falcon drawled out. "That seems quite reasonable to me."

"Oh? And what good would that do? For all you know, i'm the _only _one around these parts with information on that little _bitch _of a reptile." He rose a brow, almost smirking. "Would you be willing to risk that?"

The falcon hummed lowly at him in loathing, knowing very well what his queen could do if he didn't do his job. And she had given him specific orders to be quick. A beat down from her was the last thing he wanted. "I don't like you..." He said simply, letting the Bearded Vulture up finally. "What is it you want, scrap licker? I don't really have much to give at the moment."

"Well...first, I wish to express my feelings on you knocking over my carriage and driving my purebred Road Runners off into the desert, where they will most likely end up being eaten." He pulled his pistol out and shot it at the falcon's ankle, nicking his flesh and making a flurry of grey and white feathers fly off to the side.

"Ah!" The falcon cried out, dropping to the ground for a split second before standing back up once again, helmet falling off. He stumbled briefly before regaining his composure. His brows rose and narrowed sharply at the new injury on his leg. He seemed the least concerned with the bit of blood tricking down his flesh, however, and more with the state of his plumage. "You..._mangled _my _feathers!_" He exclaimed furiously."I should _kill _you for that!"

Edgar let out an empty, haughty laugh. "And _i'm _the pompous one?"

The falcon growled at him and spat, "Oh, _shut _up! Tell me what you want!"

"Your plans for this snake when you find her, I can tell, will be far from pleasant or civil." The vulture said, looking over his feathery fingers like one might look over nails.

"Yeah? So what?" The larger bird snorted.

"I want in on whatever it is you're gonna do." Edgar looked up at him once again. "It appears we both have something against the young snake, and if it's pain you have in store for her...I would be more than happy to contribute." He said, offering a slow, malicious grin.

"Hmm..." The falcon looked to the side, seemingly thinking it over. "Perhaps we could work something out. However...when it comes down killing the little worm, no one else will have said pleasure other than my queen."

"I don't care, just as long as I can put some serious hurt on that girl." The vulture growled. "Now...do we, or do we not, have a deal?"

The falcon hummed again, still thinking it over before he finally offered Edgar a talon, as if offering to shake on it. "The name's Fenrir."

Smirking, the vulture took the sharp talon lightly in his wing, careful not to cut himself on the jagged metal before chuckling. "Edgar Horthorst. Now...what exactly do you wish to know about young Miss Adina?"

* * *

><p>Wounded Bird let out a quiet grunt as he leaned against the desk in the sheriff's station for support. Some of his near heated feathers were standing on end as a familiar, and perpetually unpleasant sensation tingled throughout his body. It was something he, as well as many other species, dealt with every once in a while during the mating season, though it had been a long time since he had had some "relief", so to speak. While he managed to retain most of his usual calm, stoic-like demeanor, his facial expression easily read immense discomfort at times. He could only be thankful that Rango had already left to go home for the day, leaving him all by his lonesome in the quiet building. As much as he wanted to leave and deal with his current "situation" in the privacy of his home, he found that the more he moved, the more his apparent urges seemed to intensify. Why this all had to start there and now was a question he couldn't seem to focus on for long enough to grasp. For the time being, he would remain where he was. Once the sensations dulled down to a more tolerable degree, he would return home. After all, waiting it out was the norm of what he did whenever this certain time came around. This time would be no different.<p>

The large crow stiffened sharply when he heard the door abruptly open nearby. He was suddenly thankful in his mind that part of him was hidden behind the desk and that his poncho near reached past his knees. Shuffling another hard cringe and forcing a calmer expression, he lifted his head a bit just as a hat plopped down on top of the desk before him. Looking up the rest of the way, he saw a smaller, familiar bird standing just on the other side of the work table.

"I think the sheriff lost this." Tanana said, brushing a bit of sand off of the poncho Wounded Bird had given her not too long after her arrival. "Saw it blowing down the street about ten minutes ago. Took me a little bit to catch the bugger, but I figured it would be safer in here. I can't find Sheriff Rango anywhere at the moment." She looked at him finally. "Do you know where he is?"

Thinking for a moment, the larger avian soon shifted his gaze down to the table again, the brim of his hat shielding his face as he gave another minute cringe. With his sharp sense of smell, it didn't take his body long to figure out there was a female nearby. The talons on his good foot silently dug into the beaten floorboards a bit, her scent causing his discomfort to only grow all the more, at a near agonizing rate. There was little doubt in his mind that the sheriff was with Miss Beans, but to tell the Grackle that might also result in him having to give her directions to the ranch. Speaking was not currently one of his strong points at the moment, so he lied through his slightly hoarser voice, using all his willpower to make it sound calm as it usually did. "No..."

Blinking lightly, Tanana tilted her head. Though he had done an exceptional job at hiding it, she could tell something was slightly off about him. "Are...you ok?" She asked suspiciously, one of her brows raising a hair.

Covering up a sharp exhale of air with a slight cough, he nodded, still not looking up. He wasn't about to dare try his luck at speaking once again. He had barely managed it the first time answering her. He stiffened again when he felt her wings lightly grasp at his shoulders, seemingly attempting to gently push his torso upright a bit more so she could see his face. He was easily able to keep her from doing such with his sheer size and strength alone.

"Liar." She said knowingly, eyes narrowed stubbornly. "You're obviously in pain. Should I get Doc?"

Wounded Bird shook his head, hesitating before speaking, his voice still a bit hoarse, and sounding strained. "No...cannot help."

Tanana scoffed lightly, seeming a bit confused, though she kept attempting to push him up by the shoulders. "Of course he can help you, Theodore, he's a doct..." She paused in mid-sentence, blinking a bit as she finally noticed the slightly warmer feel of his feathers, hidden underneath his thick poncho. Staying quiet for a moment, she finally removed her wings, but only to quickly remove his hat before he could protest or stop her. Only then did she seem to understand what was going on, finally seeing the slight look of pain on his face, his brows scrunched together and his eyes closed.

Her eyes widened a slight bit, and she let out a long croon of understanding. "I see..." she said.

The taller crow almost seemed to relax when he felt her presence draw a bit farther away from him, hearing her footsteps head for the door. The situation had been awkward enough, and he appreciated her deciding to leave him be for the time. At least...he had thought that was what she was doing. His eyes snapped open after he heard the door close, and then...lock? His gaze shifted to the exit for a moment and he near stopped breathing when he saw the smaller bird walk back over to him. He held his wings up a bit, as if to stop her before she moved too close to him again. "Miss Tanana, I-" He jumped when she grasped at his shoulders again, more firmly then before, and pressed him to the wall a few feet behind him. He blinked down at her in surprise. "Miss Tanana, what are you-?" He was silenced again by a quick 'shush', watching her for a moment as her right wing trailed down and began to slip under his poncho. Stiffening again, he made a quick move to stop her, but his wing was slapped away by her free one.

"Quit fussing, you tall puffball. Just relax." She uttered.

He couldn't help but raise a brow slightly at her tone, but all other thoughts seemed to crash away as he felt her feathers curl around him firmly. His body near jolted as he let out a sharp, but silent breath, talons leaving slight scratches in the wood beneath them. Shakily, he tried to say her name, wanting to tell her that she didn't have to do this, but he choked on his breath slightly when she gave him a brief squeeze in response.

"I said hush. No sense in spending the next couple of days in pain." She argued calmly, stroking once along his rock hard length with her smooth feathers, swiping her thumb briefly over the tip. Her free wing moved back up to his shoulder and began to knead along it gently.

Wounded Bird let out another sharp exhale when she did, feeling himself begin to throb near painfully in her grasp as she worked her strokes into a rhythm. Any other male might have been moaning in ecstasy at this rate, but he still at least seemed to have some shred of control over himself and his reactions to her, nothing short of magnificent, touch. He let out a soft grunt as a burning sensation soon began to build within him, his breathing a bit heavier and more swift now, but still remarkably silent. It wouldn't be long, considering this was a pleasure he had long since forgotten by now and had not known for a considerable amount of time.

His body tensed sharply as one last stroke finally sent him over the edge. He emitted a heavy grunt as he quickly reached his release, coating her feathers, as well as part of her wing quite thoroughly in a quick instant. Almost immediately, he was feeling better than before. With a long sigh, he dropped his crutch and clumsily took a couple steps closer to the chair nearby, allowing his body to sink into it comfortably. Opening his eyes finally after taking a moment or two to relax, he looked up at the Grackle again. She was still standing in the spot she had been before, preening the feathers on her wing like it wasn't a big deal.

Clearing his throat a bit to get her attention, he ducked his head slightly when she looked at him again briefly, uttering calmly after a moment. "Thank you, Miss Tanana. Though, was not necessary."

"Well, to me it was. Besides...I needed some way to thank you for all you've done." She replied, finally seeming satisfied with her wing as she lowered it. She picked up his hat off the desk and moved closer, putting it on his head once again and smoothing out the brim for him.

Before she pulled away, he caught her wing in his own, grasping it for a moment as he offered her a most grateful and sincere nod. Her look softened slightly, and she soon nodded back. After a moment he released her once again.

Clearing her throat softly, she glanced to the side. "Well...goodnight, Theodore." She blinked, pinching the brim of his hat between two feathers lightly before pulling it over his eyes quickly. "Just try not to hold it in anymore when it happens, it's not good for you." She said simply before turning away from him.

Before he had managed to lift the hat away from his eyes, she had already unlocked and opened the door, disappearing through it before he could even catch the whisper of a glance. Blinking lightly to himself as he heard it shut, he soon looked forward again, staring at the wall good and hard for a long moment. Though he was quite drained already, he refused to take a nap. Instead, he took out a carving knife and a piece of wood from a drawer nearby (something he would occasionally do when the right notion struck), and skillfully began to chip away pieces and chunks out of the smooth surface.


	21. Chapter 21

**Closer and closer the story's getting to the climax. I can hardly wait. Sorry for the wait, iv'e been struggling with this chapter for a week. And by struggling I mean laughing my ass off at Nostalgia Critic and buying childhood movies on Amazon. **

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><p>Rango strut down the main street with a bright grin as he watched some of the townfolk prepare for Dirt's monthly dance one late afternoon. A common occurrence now that the town had water once again, and was getting back on its feet. He had liked the small town even before all of the previous events had unfolded, back when he had first arrived. However, with hope restored to its good people, a bit more liveliness and spirit had been drawn forth from the many creatures that resided there. It was something the sheriff would do his best to keep from fading back into shadows once again. The chameleon chuckled softly as he paused and watched young Priscilla and Lucky run by, both dragging and whipping a couple colorful ribbons behind them. "Mighty fine day it is 'round here. Wouldn't you say, Deputy?" The smaller lizard asked the large avian, who was limping after him at his usual pace.<p>

The sheriff waited for a long moment or two for an answer, but if the crow had even uttered a sound or word, Rango hadn't heard it. He blinked. Usually, if asked a question, Wounded Bird would always answer with one of his short, intelligent replies. Even offer an occasional grunt or hum when asked a 'yes' or 'no' question. This time the bird was completely silent. He turned to glance back at his deputy, finding the larger crow staring over and ahead of the lizard, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. His usual calm and emotionless expression was still there, yet something seemed slightly different about it. Something seemed to be troubling him. Not so much judging from his expression, but the look in his amber colored eyes. How he had managed to figure that out was yet another mystery to him. _I think some of that...native wisdom of his is rubbing off on me... _the lizard thought to himself, but dismissed the theory after a moment. Clearing his throat, he stopped and turned around to face him, then immediately took a step back, as if afraid the larger animal would keep walking and trip over him. He didn't, luckily, and stopped when the sheriff did, looking down at him and raising a brow slightly in question.

"Did ya hear me there, partner?" The chameleon asked him, raising a scaly brow of his own.

Blinking, Wounded Bird gave a slight tilt of his head, as if not knowing what the lizard was talking about.

Again, when Rango didn't receive an answer, he put his hands on his hips lightly and said, "I said it was a mighty fine day earlier. When I asked fer yer opinion ya didn't answer."

Blinking again, the crow finally gave a minute nod, looking over and ahead of him again. "Is a very fine day, Sheriff Rango."

Despite that one particular question having been answered, a couple more soon formed in his mind. "Is everythin' ok? Or is somethin' botherin' you?" The chameleon asked, moving his arms away from his hips and crossing them over his chest. "Ya don't exactly seem...fully there today."

"Forgive me, sheriff." Wounded Bird replied, offering no further insight.

"So...does that mean something _is _bothering you?"

"Not bothering. Tantalizing and confounding."

"Oh...uh, would ya like to talk about it?" The chameleon asked. Though the two didn't always share decidedly long conversations, they were still friends. Rango often tried to get an interesting discussion going when he and the crow were alone in the sheriff's station with nothing to do. The larger bird, he found, was a man of few words, knowledgeable and interesting as he often was.

"Is not important." Wounded Bird replied lightly.

"Aw, of course it is, deputy." The chameleon said, offering a friendly grin. "If somethin's botherin' ya, then it's my duty to find out what's wrong. After all, yer a part of this town too, and as sheriff, any good citizen's trouble is my trouble also. So why don't we sit down and you tell ol' Rango what the problem is."

"Not a problem. And not important." The crow said again, though there was no agitation in his tone. He was merely stating his own views on the current thoughts buzzing through his mind.

"Ohhh, balderdash, Bird. Come on, you can tell me." Rango said encouragingly, holding the grin.

Wounded Bird rose a brow high at him. "Balderdash, sheriff?"

"Err...yeah. You know, it means, uhh...nonsense. Or sometimes poppycock. Tripe. Twaddle. Bull..." He stopped when the crow held up a wing to silence him.

"Understand meaning." He said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "And you tell Miss Beans."

Pretending to look insulted, the chameleon put his hands on his hips. "Oh, how you wound me, deputy. After all we been through together, and yer just gonna go and spit on the very trust we share. I must say, that hurts." He nodded. "That hurts right here." He pointed to his own chest.

This time, the avian did roll his eyes, letting out a low hum as he sent the sheriff his equivalent of a flat expression. "Deficient acting. Need lessons."

Blinking, the lizard kept up with his look of insult for a moment more before deflating with a huff and crossing his arms. "Ohh...alright, fine. Ya got me. But I still want to know what's buggin' ya."

"Not bugging."

"_Tantalizing,_ then."

The crow blinked. "...Will not let this go, will you?"

"Nope."

Wounded Bird let out a quiet, exasperated rumble in his throat and glanced to the side for a long moment before finally saying, "...About Miss Tanana."

The sheriff tilted his head at his partner. "What about her? She ain't been causin' trouble, has she? Er...not that I wouldn't have already known about it if she were." He glanced around quickly, but calmed when the crow shook his head. "Well, what is it then?" He waited patiently for his deputy to answer, and for a long while it didn't seem he was going to. Still, he decided to be patient. Finally, the large avian turned his head back just a bit, gazing down at the lizard with his eyes, which had a more...softer look to them. Almost somber in a way. Slowly, the chameleon started to piece things together, and after a moment he grinned a bit knowingly. It was almost a smirk. "Bird...yer in love, ain'tcha?"

Wounded Bird looked away again, silent for another moment before replying, "Do not know."

"Well, let's put it this way, ya _are _givin' it some thought, correct? Ya must have some kinda feelin' for her to be thinkin' 'bout her like this." He said.

The crow rose a brow. "Does not mean I am in love."

"Somethin' seems to have triggered the notion, however." Rango pointed out. "Did anythin' happen recently? Ya know...between you two?"

The tall bird blinked, quickly dismissing the idea of telling the chatty chameleon about the previous night's events. It was awkward for him to even just recollect in his own mind. In truth, he had been avoiding the Grackle to his best ability ever since then, though in doing so he almost felt a sense of guilt. He wasn't exactly sure why, considering he and Miss Tanana had rarely communed with one another regularly anyway. He quickly shook his head once. "No."

Rango itched the side of his head in thought. "Hm. Well...have ya ever considered askin' her to join ya in some form of...sociable activity?"

Wounded Bird rose a brow at him inquisitively. He had understood the smaller lizard's question, but the thought had certainly never entered his thoughts before. He shook his head again.

"Ah, well...why don'tcha then? Get to know 'er a bit more. See if you and her...ya know...clique or somethin'."

The crow blinked, admitting lightly. "Would not know how."

"Aw, c'mon. Work with me here." The sheriff rubbed his chin in thought, looking down. Suddenly, he rose his head and held up a finger. "I got it! What about the dance?"

Blinking again, Wounded Bird offered him another slightly flat look. He glanced down at the bottom of his crutch, as well as his bad leg, which was curled up off the ground, then looked back at Rango, raising a brow high. Kind of in a, 'Are you serious?' sort of way.

Catching notice quickly, the lizard cleared his throat. "Ehh...right..." He said. "Well, ya don't have to necessarily _dance_ with one another. You could just...sit off to the side, talk, have a bite to eat or two, you know what i'm sayin'."

"And discuss what?"

The chameleon faltered for a moment, stumbling over his words before finally shrugging. "Bird stuff. Find out each other's favorite color, I don't know! Somethin'. Swap some kinda general information about yerselves."

The crow let out a quiet grunt, nodding subtly after a moment and looking to the side. "Perhaps." There was a pause. "Still need to figure out how would ask. Never done so before."

"Don't you worry 'bout a thing, Deputy. Come tonight, you'll have her so enraptured, she'll be all over you like flies on a rotted carcass." The chameleon stated reassuringly. When Wounded Bird gave him an odd, almost disturbed, look, he cleared his throat lightly. "Ok, maybe that wasn't the...most appropriate example, but you get the point." He waved it off. "Now...here's what ya gotta do..."

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><p>"You do realize that so long as I stay here with you, the lake will <em>stay <em>empty." Adina said with a light smirk, glancing around the desolate lake, and then back to her best friend, who was washing her feathers in the cool water. Waffles was throwing rocks not too far off, trying to hit one of the buoys farther out on the water. Needless to say, he was missing terribly.

"Well, that's sort of the point." Tanana mused, shaking herself off lightly. "One, I get to preen myself in...semi-private, and two, we have the place to ourselves until the other citizens can't take the heat anymore."

The Black Racer laughed lightly. "You're evil..."

"No, i'm like my father." The smaller bird corrected, shaking her head with a fondly smirk.

Scoffing, Adina replied through chuckles, "Like I said, evil. Did he know where you were going when you left?"

Her smile becoming a bit smaller, the Grackle shook her head. "No. I never told him. I knew he would stop me if I did."

Groaning softly, the dark snake looked at her friend, brows furrowed slightly in concern. "Your father's probably tearing his feathers out wondering where you are, Tanana."

"I know, I know...but I wasn't about to break my promise to you. And to be fair, i'm not the only one who left loved ones behind."

Adina opened her mouth to speak, but quickly deflated with dull expression, blowing out a flat sounding raspberry. "...Touche."

The Grackle nodded, brushing some water off her tail feathers. "It took me forever to get out of the hollow without him catching me. What with his..."security system" and all." She rolled her eyes. "You remember Archimedes, right?"

Adina blinked. "That bat's still alive?" She asked incredibly, not having been to Shanahan's tree hollow ever since he scared her, literally, out of her skin one night when she and Tanana were younger. "He looked old when we were still kids."

Tanana nodded again with a laugh. "Yep, and as loud as ever. I had to slip a fresh fish under his wings so he didn't wake up and start screeching like a monkey with its tail caught in a fire pit. I stick with the theory that my father made him immortal somehow."

"I wouldn't put it past the old raven." The black snake shook her head. "Are you going to that dance tonight?"

The smaller bird scoffed lightly. "You know I don't dance. I haven't danced in years."

"Well, you could...still come along."

The Grackle rose a brow. "If I do go, i'll probably just get something to eat. And keep an eye on you and Mr. Lee Van Cleef for a while. Other than that, what reason have I to attend?"

Adina rolled her eyes lightly with a chuckle. "You're much more grumpy when you're away from home. And i'm not sure if Jake's even going with me tonight anyway."

Tanana gave her an odd look, tilting her head. "And why not? Aren't you two sort of a...thing? Currently?"

"Well...yes, you could say that, but...I think mingling with the townsfolk is...not out of his comfort zone, per se, but..." The Black Racer rubbed her head with her tail, as if trying to come up with the right explanation.

"Just not something he would bother to do?" Tanana asked helpfully, to which Adina nodded.

"That works, yeah."

The Grackle shrugged with a light hum. "It's understandable, I suppose, if you take his moody, roguish, bad boy demeanor into perspective." She shared a light smirk with her friend and chuckled softly. The two turned the other way when they heard someone clear their throat nearby.

The two were quite surprised to see none other than the sheriff's faithful deputy standing there, his expression a bit blank as he looked from one to the other, somewhat helplessly. Adina held back a light giggle when she noticed the crow was no longer wearing his usual poncho, but instead had on his orange one with the white flowers, which he normally wore at his post on the lifeguard stand. His free wing was resting against his chest and clenched lightly between two of his feathery fingers was a small, somewhat dry and droopy little flower. Some flowers could thrive in the desert, but it was only natural for one to not last too long in such a climate after having been picked. The large avian's hat was off as well.

Tanana hadn't seemed to really notice the change of clothing as she was busy gathering up her own. "It's as if his mind knows when I am naked..." She muttered silently under her breath as she quickly slipped on her poncho and necklace again.

Clearing her throat softly, Adina waved off the Grackle's mood before offering the crow a polite smile. "Hey, Bird. What are you doing out here?"

_"Pst...pst...Tell her you're here to see Miss Tanana..." _A voice from behind Wounded Bird uttered non too silently.

Blinking, Adina and Tanana both shared peculiar, and not particularly convinced expressions before looking back to the crow, smirking, each raising a brow high. Adina slipped forward a bit. "Excuse me for a minute, Bird." She said, moving her tail behind him and pulling out a small chameleon before he could react. She hoisted the green lizard up by his ankle and held him before her, smirking. "Is there something you'd like to explain, _sheriff, _or are you just some form of growth with a superior intelligence impersonating him?"

Rango chuckled nervously, face turning white, then a bright shade of hot pink briefly before settling back to its normal green. "H-hey, Miss Adina! Miss Tanana. When did you get here?"

Chuckling and shaking her head, the snake turned the sheriff upright and set him down, saying to him lightly. "Rango...buddy, here's a little tip; Don't give dating advice."

"A tip someone should have cared to tell him much earlier." Tanana rolled her eyes, winking at the chameleon to indicate she was merely teasing. Biting back a light chuckle, she walked up to Wounded Bird. "Now...since the puppet strings, that this hopeless romantic here had you ensnared in, are cut, is there something _you _wanted to say, Theodore?"

Wounded Bird sent the smaller lizard a slightly flat look before instinctively taking a light step back when the Grackle approached him. Clearing his throat briefly, almost a cough really, the crow glanced to the side, his usual calm stature and demeanor returning as he lowered the dying flower a bit. He was never usually one to get nervous, but this time he felt the small twinge gnawing at his chest a bit. He didn't like it. Still, he finally managed to look at her again and nod in response to her question. "Wanted to ask if you would...join me tonight." He said lightly.

Tanana seemed to soften a bit at the request, tilting her head slightly and letting a more normal smile curl the corners of her beak. "Of course. But, you should know that i'm...not really much of a dancer."

Wounded Bird nodded once in understanding, almost seeming slightly relieved by the confession. "Is not a problem." He tapped the ground a couple times with the end of his crutch before offering the smallest trace of his own, calm smile. An action that made Rango's jaw drop quite a bit. He had heard his deputy give off the whisper of a chuckle maybe once since he had become sheriff, but a smile was a whole different thing entirely. Just as quickly as it had appeared, however, it was gone. The lizard jumped briefly when Adina used her tail to close his mouth for him.

Letting out a soft, and for once, almost bashful chuckle, the Grackle looked away. "I suppose i'll...see you later then?"

The crow offered another nod, tilting his head slightly as he caught sight of a couple, barely noticeable disheveled feathers on her cheek. Gingerly, he brushed his wing against it lightly, smoothing them out for her. He didn't quite seem to notice the brief wave of warmth rise to her face from the action, his gaze lingering on her for just a minute before he turned and began to limp back towards town, quite ready to be back into his usual getup. Rango seemed to stall for a moment, unsure exactly of what else to do before he bid the two females a farewell and jogged after the larger bird.

Tanana watched as the taller form became not much more than a black and orange blob in the distance, unaware that she was still smiling. A firm nudge from Adina jolted her from her daze, as well as almost knocked her off her feet. She looked up and instantly formed a grumpy look when she saw the black snake smirking down at her. "...What?" She asked, the tone in her voice dry.

"Looks like you have a reason to attend now." Adina grinned.

Grunting lightly, the Grackle crossed her wings over her chest before looking away from her friend, grumbling, "Oh...go lick a cactus."

Adina chuckled and left it at that for now, neither her or Tanana noticing the sleek figure of a falcon silently disappear into the clouds high above them.


	22. Chapter 22

**Here we go. It's the beginning of the end from here on out. Sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed. I've been struggling with it for a week for some reason. Also, the songs used (partially) for this chapter were 'American Saturday Night' by Brad Paisley, 'Forever and Ever, Amen' by Randy Travis, and 'Wherever The Trail May Lead' by Tim McGraw.**

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><p>The sun had set just some short while ago, and Beans huffed lightly as she worked a squirming Priscilla into small, blae colored dress, much to the young Aye-Aye's dismay. "Come on now, quit fussin' so much." The iguana stressed. "Will ya stop movin' about?" She then removed the rodent's black hat and set it aside for later, smoothing out the hair underneath.<p>

"What's the matter with _my_ clothes? Only gonna get it all mussed up anyways." Priscilla looked down at the dress and made a slight face, sticking her tongue out as she picked at a loose thread. "Ya done gone an' made me look like one o' them dumb, proper young ladies."

"Well, as far as i'm concerned, that's what you are, a proper young lady." Beans replied as she gave the laces in the back one final tug and tying it into a fancy knot. "Yer just in a huff 'cause I wouldn't let ya bring yer pistols with ya. Besides, don't you wanna look all nice and dressed up fer the sheriff?" She asked, dolling up the smaller animal's hair a bit more.

Priscilla rolled her eyes. "Not like some prissy little china doll I don't."

"Oh, come on now. It ain't that bad. Besides, one day you'll be wearin' dresses like this on a regular basis." The iguana smirked lightly.

"No I will not. I'ma wear whatever I want when i'm older, and i'ma make sure it's comfy, too. Not all itchy and tight like some fancy dress." The Aye-Aye huffed, quickly shaking her head and messing her hair up again.

"Priscilla! Now I gotta start all over again!" The taller lizard exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips. When the door opened nearby, however, both girls looked up to see the chameleon himself step inside, wearing his usual pants, only a bit cleaner now, and a white, new shirt. He grinned at both of them. The music playing outside was briefly heard, but then quickly cut off once the door had been closed again.

"Well, now," He said jovially. "Someone alert the heavens, 'cause I think they're missin' a couple of angels."

Beans rolled her eyes, but did cast him a polite half smile. "Everythin' ready out there?"

"Yep! Got the food tables set up, and a couple of folk are dancin' already." He rose a brow in amusement when Priscilla ran up and hid behind him.

"Look what she done did to me, sheriff! Dressed me up all fine and tight. Can we lock 'er up for a bit?" The Aye-Aye asked, flashing him her big, yellow eyes pleadingly.

Rango shared a smirk with the pretty iguana nearby before looking down at Priscilla. "No can do, little sister. I'm off duty at the moment." He chuckled when she groaned in response before taking both their hands lightly. "Now, I don't know about you two, but I could sure go fer a slice of Miss Daisy's apple pie." He said, leading the two over to the door before politely opening it for them, following them out once they had stepped out onto the street. The moon was bright and the stars were glittering softly. As the chameleon had said, there were already a few residents dancing in the street to a tune being played by a couple of animals with various little instruments. Spoons sat nearby, playing along to the music with his usual set of silverware. Everyone seemed to just be arriving at the center of town, where the festivities were being held.

Grinning thinly, the green lizard soon turned his attention to Miss Beans, offering the iguana a slight bow. "May I have this dance, my fair maiden?" He asked nonchalantly. Before he could receive an answer, however, a sharp whistle sounded from behind, making him turn. A familiar wagon had pulled up, dragging something large tied up in a worn old cloth behind it. Stepping down from said wagon was Balthazar and Ezekiel.

"We got it, sheriff!" Ezekiel called out as he hopped down, heading to the back of the wagon with his father.

Rango's yellow eyes lit up a bit. "Didja now? Well, let's have a look see." He said, placing his hands on his hips as Priscilla peered out from behind him curiously.

"That human never saw a thing." Balthazar said with a toothy grin, chuckling as he tapped the wrapped up bundle with his walking stick. He and his son began untying the cloth and pulling it back. Underneath was an old, squarish radio with a handle, different sized knobs, and an antenna. Though a bit dusty looking and somewhat worn, it seemed like it was in okay shape.

"Ah." The chameleon rubbed his hands together before beginning to inspect the radio for himself. "Good work, gentlemen." He took a hold of one of the knobs and carefully began to tune it as other folk paused in what they were doing to watch him.

"Whatcha doin', sheriff?" Turley asked from nearby.

"Just livenin' the place up a notch." Rango smirked, turning another knob briefly before going back to the previous one. After a moment of nothing but crackling noises and whistles, the radio came to life, making everybody jump from the sudden blast of music that exploded through the speakers.

_She's got Brazilian leather boots on the pedal of her German car,_

_Listenin' to the Beatles singin' "Back in the USSR",_

_Yeah, she's goin' around the world tonight, but she ain't leavin' here,_

_She's just goin' to meet her boyfriend down at the street fair,_

The citizens tilted their heads and looked at one another in interest. After all, they had never had a radio this large playing for one of their dances before. Usually, they had to provide their own music. The small, personal radio that Fergus kept on in his shop just wasn't the proper size for such an occasion. Not that he would be willing to give it up anyway. With the new song having just barely begun, folks began to grab a partner and move into the street to dance.

Rango took off his hat and pointed it at Beans with a smirk, nodding once. "Not bad, huh, Beans?"

Scoffing lightly with another smirk, the iguana rolled her eyes and snatched his hat, tossing it onto the nearest set of steps. She then grabbed his wrist and began dragging him lightly towards the street, "Aw, hush up, ya green fool, an' dance with me."

"Can do." The sheriff chuckled.

Away from the crowd, browsing the tables of food for something tasty to eat, Tanana took a napkin and placed a few random items on it. She popped a small pecan cookie into her beak before placing one last food item, a small piece of cornbread, on the thin cloth and turned around, near choking on the treat in her beak when she came face to face with her best friend. Coughing a bit, she swallowed and brushed her free wing rapidly across the Black Racer's snout, her more gentle version of slapping. "Doooon't! Don't sneak up on me!"

Shifting her muzzle a bit and looking away with a brief sneeze, Adina smirked at her and laughed softly at the unusual reaction. "Sorry. I thought you would have heard me." She said. Despite not having a particular reason to make herself look presentable to anyone, her scales had a softer sheen to them, making them look smooth to the touch and very glossy. She must have polished them sometime before.

"As my father likes to say, you snakes are insufferably quiet at the most inappropriate of times." The Grackle huffed, though did manage a small smirk of her own. "And why are you all spiffed up? It's just a dance."

The darker snake smirked again. "What, i'm not allowed to polish my scales once in a while? What about you? You look like you've been primping and preening yourself for hours." Adina teased, poking the smaller bird in the gut, knowing it was her weak spot.

Tanana's feathers poofed out as the action made her squawk the way any normal Grackle could. Shaking herself, she sent the taller snake a look as she straightened out her poncho and necklace. "You know I can't stand when you do that."

"You know, for the "mother figure of the forest", you sure can be a grump." Adina mused, shaking her head and glancing over the Grackle's shoulder when someone tapped it lightly.

Tanana turned her head and blinked lightly at the figure standing behind her, turning to face him after a few seconds. It appeared that her "date" had arrived. He was wearing his usual hat, but his poncho was certainly new. It looked much like his usual one, only white with pale markings. His dark hair was the same as usual but his feathers looked a bit straighter, and softer as well. Despite the simple changes in appearance, the slightly shorter bird cleared her throat, silently praising her dark feathers in her mind for hiding any evidence of the warmth that had risen to her cheeks. "Hello, Theodore." She greeted softly.

Blinking, the crow offered a light, slow nod in acknowledgment. "Miss Tanana." He replied, offering another small, rare smile. It disappeared once again when she suddenly glanced away from him with a partial chuckle mixed in with a cough. Tilting his head, he brought up a wing and lightly brushed one of her cheeks briefly, as he had done earlier. "Are you well?"

Looking at him again, she smiled and nodded a few times. "Fine, yes. Shall we...find a seat?"

Nodding once again, Wounded Bird offered her a wing, which she took lightly without hesitation, and led her over to a few empty chairs, soon settling by her side comfortably once they had chosen a seat.

Adina smiled as she watched the two, chuckling silently and shaking her head before turning her gaze on the street. Another song had begun to play, namely for couples but it wasn't the least bit slow. She rolled her eyes in a goodhearted manner when she caught sight of Rango and Beans dancing still to the upbeat tune.

_Oh, darlin, i'm gonna love you forever,_

_Forever and ever, amen,_

_As long as old men sit and talk about the weather,_

_As long as old women sit and talk about old men,_

The young snake couldn't help but tap the end of her tail on the ground to the beat. However, noticing that a few citizens were lingering a short distance from the food tables, seemingly waiting for her to move away from them, she politely slithered off to the side and leaned lightly against the side of a building, just outside of a small alley. She continued to smile and tap her tail, still watching the couples dance happily with one another. Once that song had ended, another, more slower one began to play.

"Bunch'a lovestruck fools if ya ask me." Rumbled a voice from behind her in the alley, causing her to turn and lock gazes with a pair of sharp, fiery eyes staring out at the dancers in distaste.

Her smile remained despite the words and she lifted her tail in a slight shrug. "I guess so. If you're not into that sort of thing." She replied, slipping back a few feet to be closer to him, both serpents just hidden in the darkness of the alleyway. He didn't look at her yet, and merely grunted at her response, though he did slide his coils forward and wrap them around her a bit. Smiling a bit more briefly, she leaned against his long neck and gave the rough, almost jagged scales a brief nuzzle. "What are you doing here anyway? I never took you for a soul who joined in on things like this."

"You see me "joinin'" in on anythin'?" He asked sarcastically, looking down at her briefly and raising a brow before looking back at the dancers. "Only reason i'm here is, believe it or not, 'cause of you. And mostly 'cause I can't get a goddamned wink a' sleep with these idiots prancin' about like monkeys with their loud music." He snorted.

"Well, you seem to enjoy watching these "idiots", as you like to call them." She said with a light chuckle. "And if you don't like it we could always find somewhere else to be."

"Maybe..." He said, then turned his gaze to her own once again. "Though, seems yer just fine where you is now. I think i'll tolerate it here with ya. Fer now, at least." He flicked his tongue over her lips briefly, then across her cheek.

"How considerate of you." She said teasingly, batting her eyelashes at him a couple of times lightly. She let out a laugh and jerked her coils to the side briefly when his gatling gun suddenly gave her side a hard jab. He had found the sensitive area a few nights ago, much to the black snake's displeasure. "Come on now, what did I say about that?"

He let out a low chuckle, smirking in a cocky and mischievous way. "That's what yer gonna get every time ya get wise with me. Don't like it, then don't say somethin' you know yer gonna regret."

Emitting a chuckle of her own, she feigned disappointment. "Ohh, but it's so fun toying with you." She said, letting out a louder laugh when he did it again, harder this time. "Don't, don't, stop." She said, taking his tail in her own and holding it back, being serious this time, though she did chuckle for a minute before frowning just ever so slightly. "You don't want to draw attention, do you?"

"Who gives a damn now whether or not they see? They ain't gonna do nothin' to ya long as i'm around."

"Maybe, but I don't want to confirm what they've already been speculating about me."

"Adina, you ain't gotta worry about what any of them cowardly little fools think of ya." He grunted, giving the base of her jaw a light kiss. "I say fuck 'em all. Ya ain't gotta prove yerself to nobody. They wanna believe lies, then let 'em." He turned her gaze back to his own when she looked away, giving her a very firm look. Despite such, she still seemed unsure. With a tired sigh, he shook his head and curled his tail more around her own, holding her in his coils more firmly. "Come on now..." He said, keeping his look hard but making his tone a bit more gentle. "What's it gonna take to make ya smile again?"

Sighing softly, the smaller serpent shook her head. "Jake, you know you don't have to do anything for me. You're all I need to be happy."

The rattlesnake gave a short hum, but wasn't satisfied with the answer. "Truth you may be tellin', but I ain't acceptin' just that." He said, bumping his snout against her own briefly. "Now i'll give ya two options;" He smirked. "I throw ya down, and fuck ya here an' now in front of God an' everyone," His smirk grew when the suggestion made her look away and laugh softly. "Or...I could turn into one of them other fools out there an' do this..." He said, bringing her a bit closer and beginning to guide her in smooth, rhythmic turns, "dancing" with her to the music.

Though surprised by the sudden, and unsuspected action, Adina tilted her head and soon found herself smiling again, leaning into the larger snake as she began to move her coils with his own. Luckily for them, the alley was big enough for the simple movements they were making.

_And, there's a long road be__fore us,_

_And it's a hard road indeed,_

_But, darlin', don't fear, 'cause i'll be right here,_

_To give you the strength you need,_

Jake stopped after a moment, simply engulfing the rest of her body within his own, frowning at her calmly, but not in the least bit unhappy way. She returned the frown, but it was soft and compassionate, her brows furrowed at him lightly.

_And through the whole ride,_

_I'll be by your side,_

His own brows seemed to furrow, but only the slightest bit as he brushed her cheek with the cold metal of his gun. His eyes burned into her own, but all she felt now was warmth whenever they locked gazes. He leaned over gently and whispered lowly in her ear, "You belong to me." Yes, she had heard the words before, but now there was something more to the tone in his voice when he said it. Something...gentle, and loving. A tone she had rarely heard from him, given the time they had spent together. Just the sound made her smile all the more, and for once he even smiled back a bit. Not a coy, wicked grin, but a genuine smile. Before he even had the time to do it himself, she locked lips with his own and shut her eyes softly, allowing him to return it and do the same after a moment.

_Wherever the trail...may lead._

Their mouths broke apart after a long moment, but they kept their snouts pressed together. Finally, Jake offered her one of his usual smirks. "Don't expect this part of me to show itself too often now." He teased, grinning thinly.

Laughing lightly, Adina offered him a smirk in return, though a loving one. "Wonderful as it is...it's not the Jake I fell in love with."

Chuckling lowly at her words, he leaned in once again to kiss her, but seemed to pause at the sudden silence that had come over the once noisy townsfolk. He glanced over, as did Adina, and saw that everyone was looking up at the sky slightly, and towards the end of town. His tongue flickered out, smelling and tasting the air. He let out a low rumble. Something wasn't right.

"Jake?" Adina asked, keeping her eyes on the distracted citizens in worry. "What is it?"

He flicked his tongue out again, gaze going to the sky. "Dunno." He replied. "Ain't familiar with this smell."

Not a moment later, a large knife, seemingly from nowhere, flew down and embedded itself into the ground just in the center of the street, barely missing a few startled animals, who jumped back sharply. Dangling from the bone hilt of the knife was a black and gold ribbon. Adina stiffened sharply, green eyes widening as her pupils turned to small slits. "No..." She near whimpered.

As quick as the knife had come, so had its apparent owner, who sent animals scurrying away in terror as she landed hard on the ground, one set of sharp talons landing on the hilt of her blade while the other slammed a black, beaten figure to the ground. Smirking wide, the Golden Eagle straightened up and stood tall, towering over all the citizens in town. The figure beneath her one foot coughed, and a familiar voice rang through the street.

"Father!" Adina heard Tanana cry out.

Chuckling lowly, Semira turned and gazed upon the terrified Dirtonian's faces, asking lightly in an amused tone of voice, "Am I interrupting your charming little party?" She said, running a long middle talon through the old raven's feathers as she continued to hold him down. Though covered in scratches with a few ripped out feathers here and there, he was still very much alive, just disoriented.

It wasn't long until Ragnar soon landed by her side, followed by a decent number of armored bats, who each took places on nearly every roof in town.

Managing to refrain from hissing or rattling his tail, Jake near hid the frightened female in his coils as he cocked his gun as silently as he could. Wyatt, he now knew, had been right all along...


	23. Chapter 23

**Ugh. And thus ends the most tedious week of my liiiife. It was a pain. Anyway, not really much else to say here, so...on with this slightly shorter chapter.**

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><p>"Jake...Jake, don't..." Adina whispered pleadingly as she desperately tried to pull his tail back down with her own. "There's too many, you'll only draw attention to us. W-we should try and think of something else that we could do." She gripped his coils with her own more firmly. "Please, Jake, we'll find some other way to help the town out-"<p>

"The town?" He whispered harshly in question, glancing at her. "It ain't the damn town i'm worried about, ya fool!" He looked out to the street again, eyes locked on the massive eagle, who was beginning to tap her claws on the ground.

"There is no need to feel intimidated by me, my little friends." Semira said empathetically, though a slight smirk played on her beak. "All I ask is that you hand over the dangerous murderer you've been harboring in your town." Her smirk widened at the confused and timid glances the townsfolk shared with one another, clearly not understanding who the evil queen was speaking of.

Rango, who had surprisingly managed to keep a slightly more calm demeanor, slowly removed the pistol from his holster and hid it behind him, glancing back at his Deputy, who had risen from his seat with Tanana. With the flick of his wrist, he gave the pistol a few slight waves, motioning for the crow to be prepared for anything. Wounded Bird offered a subtle nod and turned to Tanana to tell her to wait where she was, but he paused when he noticed she was no longer there. He blinked in slight surprise and cautiously glanced around, desperately searching for any hint of her location.

The eagle queen waited for a long moment before feigning slight surprise. "Oh? You are uncertain of whom I speak of?" She asked, chuckling lightly. "Well then, perhaps I could shine a bit of light on the subject. Her name is Adina Alarid." She kept back a malicious grin as a collection of gasps and whispers erupted from the animals, as well as a few statements such as, 'I knew it.' and 'We never should have let her stay in our town.'. Semira continued to talk. "She is wanted for the murder of Borak, my beloved king and husband. Whose glory can never be replaced."

With a frustrated snarling sound as he gave a hard jerk beneath her talons, Shanahan snapped his gaze to the citizens and rasped out, "F-folly and piffle! Do not l-listen to the wretch! _Sh-she _is the only l-liar and murderer h-here!" A sharp yell sounded from his beak as she roughly jabbed one of his wounds with a sharp talon in warning.

"Come,_ traitor_, do not waste your time and breath. We all know you were a supporter of the treacherous serpent." The queen said lightly, eyes narrowing.

"Borak deserved death! You are deceiving these people as you have deceived myself!" The old sorcerer snapped, looking from the eagle to the townsfolk again. "Do not listen to her, you fools! _She _is the murderer, not Adina!"

Shifting a bit on his talons, Ragnar cleared his throat lightly, "My queen...perhaps it is time you released the old raven. He is of no use to you anymore, and...he only wants his daughter back-"

"Those sound like the words of a deserter, Ragnar." Semira said calmly, her look dark as she looked at him and frowned deeply, her voice intimidating yet soft as it always was. "They are friends with the criminal and deserve equal punishment. And, it would pain me to think I could not trust you either."

Keeping his head low, he looked away and said quietly, though reluctantly, "Forgive me, your highness." In truth, he had been thinking for some time now just how loyal he actually was to the Golden Eagle. After taking her more recent actions into consideration the past few weeks, he was beginning to realize that all of this was wrong.

"Good." Said the queen before looking back at the townsfolk. "I suggest you tell me where she is. Otherwise, you all will share the same fate as she and her little friends here."

Adina's chest tightened as the words sounded from the eagle's beak. There was no way in hell she could let the citizens pay for what she did, no matter how frightened she was. She made a quick move to shoot out into the street and reveal herself, but Jake caught her quickly, sinking his teeth, though not his hypodermic fangs, into her soft flesh and pulling her back into the shelter of his coils. Though the action drew a bit of blood, he figured it was better than her getting herself killed. A light whoosh above his head caught his attention, and he looked up just in time to see a familiar Grackle shoot overhead.

Bursting from the darkness of the alley, Tanana lifted her legs and spread her smaller, though sharp talons apart as she aimed for Semira's neck. Silent as the smaller bird was, the eagle's senses were sharp, and she easily caught sight of the Grackle. Dodging the attack, she bit down sharply on Tanana's left ankle and thrust her head to the side. With her free set of talons, she swiped at the small bird as she hurtled her harshly to the ground, slicing two deep wounds in her side, sending a few dark feathers and a bit of blood flying. She landed heavily before the startled crowd, who all stepped back in alarm.

"No! Tanana!" Shanahan cried out in concern as he struggled beneath Semira's grip, who smirked and threw the raven down in front of his daughter. Crawling closer, the old sorcerer furrowed his brows as he rested a wing over the dazed and bleeding Grackle. "Tanana..." He brushed her cheek gently, slightly lifting her limp head off the ground. Carefully, he wrapped his larger wings around her and brushed his beak against her own gently. "This is my fault..." He said shamefully as he shook his head, only looking up again when he heard another figure approach quickly. He rose a bushy brow slightly at the unfamiliar crow as he dropped his crutch and kneeled before them, an equal amount of worry in his amber eyes.

Wounded Bird gazed silently at her wounds for a long moment before turning his attention back to the Grackle's face. She didn't seem very aware they were even near her, her eyes only open a little bit. Gingerly, he brushed her cheek with his feathers before beginning to stroke it with his thumb, softening considerably when the smaller bird let out a soft mewl in response. He looked at Shanahan after a moment and offered a respectful nod, hoping he had not overstepped any bounds. Luckily for him, the raven only offered a brief, suspicious look before seeming to accept his affections towards her and nodded back. After all, this was not the time for questioning or arguments.

"S-stop! L-leave them alone!" Cried a voice from the crowd, Waffles soon pushing his way through and near tripping as he stood before the small group of birds, expression frightened but firm. "Th-they ain't done no harm!"

Letting out a few loud chuckles, Semira gave her head a tilt. "Well, well, it seems we have quite a few disloyal persons among us tonight." She waved a few bloody talons in dismissal. "Stand aside, reptile. If these conspirators will not fess up and tell me what I wish to know, they will be killed, along with young miss Adina when she is found."

Raising his brows a bit in horror, Waffles quickly shook his look away and glared at the eagle. "N-no! Ya ain't got no right or reason teh h-hurt anyone! Yer a liar!"

Taken aback slightly, Semira blinked before returning the glower. "Fine..." She said, talons digging into the dirt beneath them. "I shall kill you as well." She rose her wings a bit, getting ready to strike. Rango quickly pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the eagle but was soon pinned by a couple of armored bats, their claws leaving rips in his shirt as they held him down.

"Agh! Release me, you savages!" The chameleon barked, cringing when the bats only held him tighter.

Beans had to hold Priscilla back as she watched, though desperately wanting to do something herself. She glanced around and attempted to shout at a few citizens to wait as they pulled out their own pistols, ready to defend their sheriff and their town. They, too, soon found themselves being restrained by the flying rodents, a few random shots ringing through the air, though none hit any targets.

Adina rose her brows sharply as she watched from Jake's coils, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly as she grit her teeth in worry. This had to be stopped. Though she was not the most powerful snake, her species was known well for it's particularly hard and painful bite. Quickly, she sunk her teeth into the softer underscales on Jake's body with a hiss.

"Ah! Son-of-a-!" Jake snarled, jerking his coils, and accidentally loosening them just enough to allow Adina to shoot from his grip and out onto the street. Cursing colorfully as his eyes flared dangerously, he charged after her with another snarl. "God_dammit_! Fuckin'_ stupid_ woman!"

Ignoring Jake and his words, Adina slithered quickly in front of Waffles and the others before Semira could strike. "_No!_" she cried, gazing up at the massive bird of prey in a firm, but terrified way, breathing shakily through her mouth. "Please..."

Pausing in her actions, the eagle queen calmed slightly as she returned to her previous stature, staring down at the snake before starting to smirk. "Ahhh, there you are. How unexpected." She let out a haughty chuckle. "I expected you to be cowering in a corner hiding somewhere." Her smirk widened. "You put the mighty Edryd to shame in being his child, girl."

Adina looked down, opening her mouth to speak when she was suddenly snatched up once again by a deeply agitated Jake, who hissed sharply at Semira and aimed his gun at her as he tried burying the Black Racer in his body again. "Jake, wait, she-!" Adina attempted crying out, but was cut off when the bats that had been previously holding Rango down began to attack the rattlesnake in defense of their queen. Cursing at them sharply, Jake began to snap his jaws and shoot at the winged nuisances.

Standing, Rango watched helplessly as the fight went on. He caught a flash of silver in the sky out of the corner of his eye and saw Fenrir dive down and spread his claws to attack the rattlesnake as well. The chameleon took out his firearm again, holding up a hand to cry out a warning to Jake, but the cold barrel of a pistol being pressed against his neck made him pause.

"I wouldn't do that, sheriff." Said a voice from behind. "Someone could get hurt."

Narrowing his eyes, Rango lowered his weapon and arm a bit, glancing behind him and locking gazes with a Bearded Vulture, wearing a top hat and holding a bejeweled pistol in his wing. The sheriff scowled bitterly at him.

"Drop it." Edgar said with a smirk, grinning when the chameleon was forced to comply.

Tossing the last bat aside, Jake turned and bared his fangs with a sharp hiss, venom shooting from his mouth as he braced for Fenrir's attack. Though, at seeing the needle-like teeth in the rattlesnake's mouth, the falcon seemed to hesitate, spreading his wings to slow himself down. Obviously, he hadn't taken Jake's species into consideration. "Coward!" Jake snarled through the hiss when he took notice.

Seeing this distraction as an opportunity, Semira smirked to herself as she brought up a jagged talon, pulling her leg back as she balanced on the other.

Glancing over at the last moment, Adina caught on to what the eagle was about to do, her brows raising in horror. "_Jake!_" she screamed.

The outlaw glanced at her briefly before whipping around with another hiss, but stiffened sharply when he felt something hit him hard in his side. He blinked, stunned, not yet feeling any kind of pain as he looked down, seeing one of Semira's long talons embedded into his flesh as she held it there. Too shocked to even react, the rattlesnake just stared for the moment before looking back at the Golden Eagle as she began to chuckle. Roughly, she withdrew her talon, stained red, and watched as Jake grit his teeth and shut his eyes before falling to the dirt in a heap, coils loosening quite considerably around Adina.

The Black Racer felt a cold, numbing sensation overtake her body as she stared down at the fallen rattlesnake. She didn't feel the hot tears forming in her tea green eyes, only the sharp pain, both emotional and physical, tearing through her chest. _Not him... _she thought. Desperately, she gathered him up in her coils as much as she could and nudged his head gently with her own. He was still breathing, but the blow was enough to incapacitate him for the time being. He was bleeding a lot as well. She shook her head. "No...Jake?" She nudged him a bit more.

"Now, look what you've done, Adina." Semira scolded, flicking some of the rattlesnake's blood off her talon. "Look what your cowardice has caused." She stepped closer, her shadow looming over the two. "Was it worth it?"

Swallowing back a hard sob, Adina shook her head as she closed her eyes. "No...no, it wasn't." She admitted, her voice wavering. She gave the outlaw's cheek a slow, long brush with one of her own before turning her gaze to the eagle, tears pouring from her eyes. "Please...I can't stand this anymore. Take me, please. I won't fight...I won't struggle, I swear it." She shook some tears away.

"N-no, Adina!" rasped Tanana from nearby, who had emerged slightly from her daze and was gripping her father's shoulder tightly, reaching a shaky wing out to her in desperation.

Adina ignored her, keeping her wet eyes on Semira. "Just leave this town. Leave everyone here alone and take me. And you can finally have your revenge, just like you wanted."

Semira stared down at her firmly, raising a slight brow. Ragnar watched silently with a solemn look, quite torn between what to do. He looked at his queen and spoke up again. He wasn't proud of the words, but he knew this is how Adina would have preferred it if there was no other choice. "She is...all yours for the taking, my queen. Let us leave this...miserable little place for good. It is not worth such talon fodder."

The eagle glanced over at the Harpy Eagle for a long moment before looking down at Adina and nodding once. "Fine." She said, not entirely pleased with the idea, but took Adina firmly into her talons anyway.

Waffles shook his head as he held up a hand, starting to run to the snake before Wounded Bird grabbed his arm and held him back. "No, Miss Adina! Y-ya don't have to go!"

Looking over at the small lizard, Adina furrowed her brows but managed a weak, though slightly reassuring smile. Before Semira could pull her away entirely, she managed to brush Jake's face with her own once more, flicking her tongue over his lips as more tears slid down her cheeks. "Goodbye..." she whispered. Deep down she knew he would live, but it broke her heart terribly leaving him like this.

Tightening her grip, the massive bird of prey let out a long, eagle scream and spread her wings, taking off into the air as the bats took off and began to follow her away from town. Ragnar cast the town a sorry look as Fenrir and Edgar (who was riding a road runner) went past him. After a long moment, he too followed.

Doc, Rango and Beans quickly went to tend Jake and Tanana as the evil queen and her minions flew off into the night, carrying the submissive young serpent along with them. Wounded Bird carried the distraught Tanana towards Doc's office, holding her firmly and gently shushing her and tucking his head near her own as she struggled and protested against them letting them take Adina. Doc and Beans escorted Shanahan.

Rango watched them for a moment before going over to the fallen rattlesnake, placing a hand on the rough coils as he let out a sigh.

Jake opened his eyes, vision blurred as he just managed to make out the flying figures in the sky. Gritting his teeth, he gave his tail a hard jerk as a few of his coils wrapped around Rango's arm tightly, near snapping the bone inside. Forcing his head upright, chin resting in the dirt, he did his best to focus his fiery eye on the chameleon. Voice and body shaking, from both his pain and his building fury, he hissed out in a deadly tone, "Y-ya got t-two seconds...t-teh tell me that...that g-girl ain't...w-with th-them..."


	24. Chapter 24

**Urgh, I had no energy yesterday. *rubs eyes* It figures, my urge to write comes on a day I feel like s**t. It turns out I had/have the flu, considering I got the chills and a fever later on. I'm feeling a bit better though. **

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><p>Rango paced back and forth inside Doc's office, tenderly rubbing the arm that Jake had nearly broken in his grip not an hour before. The rattlesnake had lost consciousness due to blood loss shortly after, luckily before he could do anything rash. Doc was outside tending to him now, seeing that he had received the worst of the injuries. Jake wasn't his biggest worry at the moment, however. It was the safety of the rest of the town that currently concerned him. He glanced over at Beans nearby, who was cleaning up some of Shanahan's wounds. The raven was currently showing Priscilla, who had run into the office not long after they arrived, a magic trick of sorts, making a small coin turn into a flower. The action made her smile a bit and calm down slightly as she took it from him and looked it over. The old raven softened slightly, but glanced over at his daughter in worry every now and again.<p>

Tanana was half laying on a soft bed nearby, her sides bandaged heavily as she sought comfort in the tall crow seated in a chair next to her. She leaned into him, one wing rested on his shoulder and the other on his chest, as she pressed her face to the crook of his neck silently, her eyes shut tightly and wet. She felt she had failed her best friend, and though she wanted nothing more than to fly away and try to find her, she knew she wouldn't be able to at that moment. It would be too late by the time she was fit to fly again.

Wounded Bird frowned down at her softly, his wings encasing her with all the tenderness he could draw forth. He brushed a few warm tears from her eyes with his thumb feather before moving his hand under her beak, gently easing her gaze onto his own. She opened her pale eyes to look up at him dolefully, making his expression soften all the more, his brows furrowing a bit. He gently caressed what bit of her cheek he could reach with his feathers as his wing continued to hold her chin up. After a long moment, he brushed the side of her beak with his own, nudging it lightly from time to time as he offered her a faint smile, almost reassuringly.

Though his caring gestures warmed her greatly on the inside, she still couldn't find the strength to smile back. She did, however, brush his beak in return, returning his affections before pressing more tightly to him. Frowning again, Wounded Bird moved his beak closer and placed a light kiss on her cheek, continuing to hold her close and stroke along her soft, warm feathers. No words were shared or needed between them.

Though always having been quite the strict and protective father, Shanahan usually had a good judge of character, and could tell Wounded Bird's feelings towards his daughter were nothing but pure. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the two of them, but the sound of Rango's voice made him turn.

"Excuse me...er...sir?" The chameleon asked, walking over to the large raven. "You seem to be...quite familiar with this...eagle that invaded our town. Do you think she'll come back at any time?"

Frowning with a snort, Shanahan nodded his head a little. "I would not put it past her to go back on her word. She has already lied to me. And like an old fool, I believed her."

"You've mentioned that before." Beans said. "Are you the reason she was able to find the town in the first place?"

Looking away shamefully, the old sorcerer gave a heavy sigh and a slow nod. "Yes. And for that I cannot apologize enough. She tricked me into locating Adina's destination using my magic. When I saw she and Tanana were both safe...I knew I had been deceived, and had done the wrong thing. You must understand...she told me she had my daughter. I only wanted her back safe."

Beans scoffed a bit, seeming confused. "Well...why didn't you use yer magic to try and locate your daughter _before _that eagle came to you?"

"There wasn't the time." Shanahan said. "And I did not have all the resources required. Some of the ingredients I needed were too close to Semira's lair. Believe me, if I had had the means to do something before all of this occurred, I would have done it."

Rango shook his head lightly. "Blamin' yourself isn't gonna do anything now. We need to figure out somehow what we're gonna do to defend the town and everyone else if she comes back."

Shanahan let out an empty laugh. "You will need more than a few firearms to take on her and her impudent little minions, I can tell you that right now."

Lifting her head, almost glaring at the sheriff, Tanana gave the lizard a hard look. "And what about Adina? Are we just going to forget about her?"

Rango rose a hand, "Miss Tanana, I know you're concerned about her. And most of us are, too. It's just that we have no sense of knowing where she could be right now, and-"

"Concerned?" Tanana asked harshly, feathers becoming ruffled. "_Concerned. _I'm_ terrified!_ Who knows what they could have done or _could be _doing to her right now!" The Grackle snapped, tears forming in her eyes again. "We can't all just sit here debate on what that horrible wretch's next move is, we need to-!" She paused sharply as a surge of pain shot up her side, causing her to cringe. Wounded Bird held her a bit closer, doing what he could to calm her down as he began stroking her feathers again. He felt an ache in his heart when she finally just went limp against him with a brief, hard sob.

Rango sighed and looked away as he rubbed his head, lost in regarding what to do. The sound of the back door opening caught his attention as he glanced over to see Doc reenter the office, wiping blood off of his paws and grumbling to himself about one thing or another. Turning his entire body to face the rabbit, the chameleon asked, "How's Jacob doin'?"

Doc grunted, rolling his eyes as he said somewhat sarcastically, "Oh, fine and dandy. Fer now, at least."

"What do you mean 'fer now', Doc?" the sheriff wondered, crossing his arms.

"It'd take a lot more to bring that outlaw down fer long. It was a lot of blood, but he'll be fine." The rabbit concluded. "It's what he's gonna do when he wakes up that i'm worried about. If he had put a bit more strength in that hold he had on ya earlier, sheriff, yer shootin' arm would be outta the picture fer quite some time."

Though relieved that the rattlesnake would be ok, Rango did begin to worry about Jake's reaction to realizing that Adina had been taken. He knew how much he cared for the young snake, despite his attitude towards her in front of most others in town. Rubbing his temples tenderly, the lizard began to pace again. He thought long and hard for a few moments before finally raising his head and blinking. He snapped his fingers once. "Deputy!" He said, looking over at Wounded Bird. The crow glanced over and rose a brow slightly. "Where'd we put them cuffs we confiscated from Bill?"

Wounded Bird rose his brow higher and tilted his head downward in a sort of 'You're not actually considering this...' sort of look. "Will only anger rattlesnake further, Rango." He said, knowing exactly what the chameleon was thinking about.

The chameleon sighed. "I know, Bird, but he could be a danger to himself and others if he gets too riled up. You and I well know what he's capable of when he's pissed enough."

Wounded Bird let out a low hum mixed with a slight sigh through his nostrils as he glanced away for a moment, not faltering any as he continued to stroke Tanana's feathers. Finally, after a long moment, he looked back to the sheriff and jerked his head towards the door. "Behind sheriff's station. Near shooting range."

Rango offered a light smile and nodded once with a slight tip of his hat. "Thanks, deputy." He said. Before he could reach the handle of the front door however, he heard the back door slam open loudly and Beans yell out for the chameleon in fright. Before he could react, he felt strong coils wrap around him harshly, squeezing the air out of his lungs. He let out a choke of surprise before his yellow eyes locked onto a pair of fiery ones, which were glaring down at him in fury.

Jake rumbled lowly, his muzzle twitching as his grip tightened a bit more on the tiny lizard, breathing heavily through his mouth. The area where Semira had run him through with her claw was wrapped in clean bandages. At the slightest sound of Doc retrieving his pistol from nearby, he whipped around and slammed the rabbit against the wall with his tail, hissing sharply before turning on the sheriff again with a snarl. "_Where _is she?"

Coughing a slight bit, Rango glanced over at Beans and the others, each of which were protecting another. Beans keeping Priscilla behind her as she stared out in terror, and Shanahan holding his wings before Tanana and Wounded Bird. The chameleon gasped sharply when the coils tightened again.

"_Answer me!_" Jake roared.

Though struggling for breath, Rango managed to find his voice. "I-i'm sorry, J-Jake...there weren't nothin' we could do-"

"_Bullshit!_" The outlaw snapped. "There's _always _somethin'! And ya let 'em take 'er!" His grip tightened all the more, Rango's ribs almost at the cracking point. "Gimme _one _reason why I shouldn't _kill you all _right this minute!" He cocked his gun and shoved it against the side of the lizard's throat, near trembling with anger.

Rango cringed as he desperately tried to speak, hardly able to breathe at that point. Suddenly, Jake released him sharply with a snarl of pain. Dropping to the floor, Rango held his throat and coughed briefly, looking up in surprise to see Doc standing behind the rattlesnake, a large needle in his grip. The rabbit pulled the now empty syringe out, and before Jake could strike him down, the rattlesnake shut his eyes tightly, swaying with a disoriented look. He tried to shake it off, but to no avail, and soon collapsed to the wooden floor in a heap, out cold.

Breathing heavily, Rango rubbed his throat and looked at Doc, offering a grateful nod before looking over at Wounded Bird, voice a bit hoarse. "Y-ya see what I mean, Deputy?"

Easing his grip on Tanana slightly, the crow blinked and looked from the fallen rattlesnake to Rango, offering a minute nod.

Clearing his throat, the chameleon stood up and brushed off his clothes. "I-'i'll...just be gettin' them cuffs now." He blinked, suddenly looking down at himself. "And a new pair of undies..."

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><p>Dark clouds began to roll in over the desert early the next morning. The sun had barely risen, not that it was visible behind the dark clouds. The rains had come again, a sometimes rare occurrence within a short time range between previous storms. Thunder boomed softly in the far distance as droplets began to fall lightly from the sky. Many miles outside of town, a dark figure lay in a small puddle forming in the rocky earth. Broken, still, and silent. Her once glossy scales were dirty, and covered in grime and blood. Her body was laced with thick, heavy wounds, some still bleeding as they soaked in the dusty water beneath them. Her breathing was shallow, and it was a miracle that she even had a single breath left in her body. She was less than inches from death, blood and tears rolling down her scraped cheeks, but she had no strength to weep. Tortured and left for death to take her. That had been her punishment. Semira refused to devour her, for the eagle considered the snake an unworthy meal. And it would have been far too quick of a fate for the female serpent.<p>

Shivering hard at the cold feel of the rain droplets hitting her body, Adina let out a weak cough, a few droplets of blood dripping from her mouth and into the puddle, staining some of the water red. Her eyelids flickered lightly, barely noticing the large shadow that soon overcame her.

"Adina..." Came a quiet voice from her right.

Struggling to open her eyes a little, the Black Racer managed to shift her blurred gaze onto a tall, white figure standing before the puddle, golden eyes staring down at her firmly. Straining with the words, she managed to rasp out quietly, "W-Wyatt...?"

The large rattlesnake didn't answer. Only continued to stare down at her firmly for a long moment. Finally, in a soft, but stern voice, he said, "Get up."

The smaller snake blinked lightly, confused. She had tried before, but to no avail. She was quite certain this time she would not succeed. Not answering him, she let her eyes slip closed again. What he was asking was simply too much in her condition. This, however, didn't stop him.

Narrowing his eyes, his tail gave off a few agitated rattles. "_Get UP_." He nearly barked, moving closer to the edge of the puddle.

Jolting briefly at the sharpness of his voice, Adina looked at him again weekly and choked out. "I-I can't..."

"Adina, get up..." Wyatt repeated. "You need to try, now _get up, _dammit!"

"Wyatt, I can't..." She near whimpered.

"Yes you _can_, Adina!" He snapped. "You didn't come all this way for nothin', now _get up!_"

Cringing, the Black Racer coughed again as she tensed, using the last strength she possessed to painfully lift herself onto her coils again. Once she was about more than halfway upright, she felt strong, cold coils wrap around her gently, helping her the rest of the way. Raising her head weakly, she gazed up tiredly at the albino serpent, whose look had softened quite considerably.

Smiling down at the younger serpent, he let out a warm chuckle. "Toldja so." He moved his rattle underneath her chin to give her head support. When she managed to smile in return a little bit, he gently placed her onto his back. "Try to hold tight. We got a long way to go."

"Wh-where...where are you taking me...?" She asked quietly, eyes closing in exhaustion and opening again slightly.

"To get you some help." He replied firmly, looking forward as his skull burst into green flames again. "And to get a helluva lot more recruits if we're gonna bring the fight to that eagle." His tail rattled sharply, echoing loudly as it went on for miles across the landscape. With a sharp hiss, Wyatt took off across the desert, the rain slowly beginning to put out the trail of green flames he left in his wake.


	25. Chapter 25

**Sorry About the delay, people. Iv'e been in a bit of a Jim Henson craze as of late. Between 'Dinosaurs' the TV show and the Skeksis from 'The Dark Crystal' i'm not sure what iv'e been obsessing over more. **

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><p>Despite the flames licking across the undead rattlesnake's body, Adina detected no warmth within the cold, yet lifelike coils of Wyatt Slaten. Though still particularly weak, her wounds sore and raw, but at least having finally stopped bleeding, she managed to lift her head and gaze around in silence and slight confusion. She was unfamiliar with this part of the desert (though most of it looked the same to her, anyway) and something smelled...off about it. It was fairly silent, and the clouds seemed to hang more heavily in the air. At times she thought she would hear near silent voices whisper across the land, like the dust carried by the wind. It sent a slight shiver down her spine. If they could, her scales would be standing on end. She looked forward again and drew back slightly at the sight of a graveyard in the distance, surrounded by a massive black fence that stood about half the height of a human adult. On the tallest hill, in the center of the graveyard, stood an old tree, its leafless branches bent and curled in various different ways. Even farther away from the graveyard, the sky was bright and cloudless, allowing just a few rays of sun to sweep over the landscape, though it brought little comfort to the Black Racer.<p>

"Wyatt...? Where are we going?" She asked, the uneasy tone in her voice not hard to detect.

"First, i'm goin' to see an old friend of mine. See if he can patch ya up a bit. After that...well, we'll just have to see." He glanced back and nudged her head back down. "Rest. The souls buried here ain't the most gracious, or polite bunch, but they wouldn't dare hurt ya with me around." He reassured, though the words only heightened her discomfort. Wyatt glided up to the crooked, slightly rusted gate and slipped through, the old chain having already broken off ages ago. He glided past dusty, chipped graves, his coils making little noise as they slid over the grimy cobblestone pathway. Ahead of them, where the base of the hill just began, a burrow of sorts had been dug through, with a door at the front. Almost like a hobbit hole.

Adina blinked at it curiously, until a bit of movement to her left caught her eye. She quickly turned to look, but whatever it had been was gone. A soft, childlike giggle sounded in her ears, as if the source was inches from her. She looked around quickly, but still saw nothing.

"Don't mind that." Said Wyatt, an almost smile playing at his lips. "That's just Oliver."

Adina blinked again. "Oliver?"

"Young boy that likes to play hide and seek with folk sometimes. Usually only shows himself to women." He explained.

The younger serpent furrowed her brows in confusion, almost concern. "Why would a little boy play here? And so early? He must worry his parents sick."

Wyatt shook his head, the smile remaining. "Nah, nah. Oliver's always here. Been here for the last fifty-two years. Struck down by an outlaw's bullet when he were nine. Sweet kid. Too afraid to leave, though."

Adina furrowed her brows again, this time in a sorrowful way. "That's so sad..."

"It's not unheard of 'round here." The rattlesnake said, frowning slightly and adding in a softer tone, glancing at a patch of smaller graves off to the right. "And he ain't the only one." He looked back at her briefly, bumping his snout against her cheek at the slightest sight of moisture in her eyes. "Don't cry for them. They don't like seein' folk sad." He looked forward again, gently setting her onto a patch of, surprisingly healthy grass before ringing an old bell on a post just outside the door.

An inaudible shout sounded from within, making Adina jump slightly, but Wyatt only seemed to chuckle. After a moment, the door swung open and a crotchety looking black-tailed jackrabbit stepped out with a lantern, his ears near torn to ribbons and his teeth all but gone, aside from a particularly sharp looking one protruding from his bottom lip. Despite one of his eyes being large and the color of milk, he seemed to favor that one in staring down both Wyatt and Adina. Finally, he grunted, spitting out in his gravelly, old voice at the larger snake, his accent almost seeming like a cross between scottish and irish at times. "What d'ya want now, Wyatt? Ya better have plenty good a reason fer wakin' me up so early." His eyes...or, eye, went to Adina again as he raised his cane and jabbed at her chest in wonder. "And with a "breather" at that? Only breather I care teh see 'round here is the one I have teh stare at in the mirror every mornin'."

"I understand that, Angus, but I need yer help. Well...she does." He pushed Adina forward with his coils. "I need ya to heal her for me. Consider us square after that, 'less ya happen to find yerself in trouble with the local demons again." He smirked.

Angus snorted before continuing to look Adina up and down, twirling one of his whiskers around his pinky claw in slight irritation. He grumbled incoherently to himself for a time, occasionally stomping a foot on the ground, as many rabbits did. Finally, he snorted again. "Ack, fine." He waved it off with a sour look before beginning to hobble back into his home. "Give me a minute or two." He slammed the door shut behind him. Instantly, a barrage of loud noises and curses sounded from within.

Adina blinked a bit, glancing at Wyatt. "Is he...always like this?"

The outlaw nodded once. "Angus has been the sexton here since the graveyard was first built. He defies the laws of age by quite the long time. Some say he's an old warlock that came here over a hundred years ago. Others say he made a pact with the devil and learned black magic."

Tilting her head, the young female rose a brow. "Which one is it?" She asked, but Wyatt only smirked. Tempted to press him on the subject, she opened her mouth to speak before flinching when the door burst open again, Angus staggering back out with an old bottle in his hands, filled with a black, tar-like substance. He near shoved it at Adina. "Drink this, lass." He hacked briefly and spat into the grass nearby.

Adina picked it up with her tail and looked at it, making a slight face. "What exactly...is it?"

"T'is a fucking rootbeer! Just drink the damned thing!" Angus snapped. "I haven't got all mornin'!"

"Considerin' yer usual schedule, i'd say ya did." Wyatt teased lightly.

"Bugger off, ya no-legged freak..."

Shaking her head, Adina looked at the bottle again before lifting it to her mouth and letting the thick liquid slide down her throat. Instantly she coughed, near throwing up at the taste, as well as the feel of what one might describe as a wad of hair mixed in tar against the slick walls of her gullet. Despite this, she managed to get it down. She shook the taste off with a shuddering noise before wincing as tiny stings laced her body. She glanced at her wounds and near choked on her breath as they slowly, one by one, began to close and heal. Her strength returned as well, to which she stood a bit straighter before looking at Wyatt and smiling.

Wyatt smiled back and looked at Angus. "Thanks, little buddy."

Angus waved it off with another sour look. "Dinnae call me that." He said, lumbering back to his house. "And bring me a dead one next time!" He slammed the door shut behind him again.

Adina closed her eyes at the slam and looked back at Wyatt, tilting her head. "What happens now?"

"Now..." The outlaw said, picking her up again and setting her in his coils. "We recruit some more help before bringin' the fight to that eagle." He looked to the south as the wind suddenly picked up, his tongue flitting out of his mouth briefly, smelling the air. "And we need to hurry." He turned and quickly made his way to the top of the hill, looking across the property at all the graves before his tail rattled again, the sound echoing loudly between the graves.

Adina watched for a moment, though nothing seemed to happen. She looked at him again. "You don't have to carry me still if you don't want to. I feel fine."

Wyatt didn't take his eyes off the graves. "Maybe so...but there ain't no way in hell you'd be able to keep up with us."

The snake blinked. "...Us?" She looked forward again as a green glow caught her eye, drawing back and lowering herself quite considerably as a transparent figure seemed to drift from the ground, a bandanna tied around his nose and mouth, a tattered coat and faded gun holster around his waist, and a black hat atop his head. His chest was laced with bullet holes, smoke rising from within each, though no blood marked his clothing. Before Adina could ask who, another figure rose from nearby, followed by another, then another. After a total of 27 had risen, all dressed in similar attire and showing signs of suffering violent deaths, they all turned their pale eyes to Wyatt, who nodded to them all in greeting.

"Say hello to the Devil's Angels." He said finally, turning his gaze to a much paler looking Adina.

The Black Racer's pupils had become tiny black slits against the tea green of her eyes. She rose slightly from behind a wall of Wyatt's white scales, her gaze drifting to each of the ghostly outlaw's before she weakly flicked her tail in a wave. "Hello..."

* * *

><p>Rango led a pair of Road Runners behind doc's office, where a large figure lay restrained by a pair of human handcuffs. Despite the slight fear, the chameleon kept his gaze firm, knowing the rattlesnake was awake. Despite having been injected with sedatives not a couple of hours before, it wasn't enough to keep the outlaw out for long. However, Jake showed little interest in the lizard's presence, his eyes closed and his head low.<p>

The sheriff cleared his throat and stepped closer, though was sure to keep his distance. "Doc told me you were awake." He urged the road runners closer to him. "Thought ya might be hungry."

"Take yer pity elsewhere, sheriff." Jake said coldly, his hellish eyes opening slightly and glaring at him. "Now. Before I kill you instead."

Rango sighed slightly, a look of sympathy coming to his features. "Jake...I understand what you're going through right n-" He drew back and stopped mid-sentence when the rattlesnake snapped his gaze to his own in fury.

"Don't you _dare _stand there and tell me you _understand _what the hell i'm feelin', boy." He hissed, voice laced with poison, the handcuffs near clinking together as he shook in anger. "You don't know _nothin'__. _Ya don't _know _what real sufferin' is. You _lucked out_, that's all. Ya never been _shot__..._Ya never been inches from the devil's grasp, near drownin' in yer own bodily fluids. Ya never known _loss. _Yer a _fuckin' pet, _sheriff, and that's all you'll _ever _be. So don't you _dare _lie to my face like that _ever. _Or i'll _show ya _what sufferin' is."

The chameleon sighed and looked down at his boots, his words sending a slight pang of guilt through his body. He took off his hat and looked at Jake again, his expression sincere and his voice quiet. "I'm sorry..."

Jake scoffed, looking at him almost hatefully. "Sorry...sorry ain't gonna do shit." He looked down at the dirt with a rumble. "I never should have helped you...I never should'a agreed to yer offer."

Rango held his hat in front of him, looking at it in thought as he fingered along its brim. After a moment, he looked up again. "Then you'd have never fallen in love." He concluded, his fake accent still having yet to show up.

Jake closed his eyes tight, but didn't answer. He didn't need to. Snorting, he glared at the sheriff again after a long, silent moment, near snapping, "When the hell are you gonna let me out of here so I can _leave _this pathetic excuse of a town?"

The chameleon looked away, not exactly sure how, or what to answer. Though the decision only had to be his alone, he knew it would be best to consult Wounded Bird and the others first. He wouldn't have felt right otherwise. He looked over at Jake again, but before the words could leave his mouth, he felt something large knock him forward and pin him to the ground, looking up as Jake hissed and snarled sharply at whatever it was, beginning thrash wildly against the handcuffs, desperate to attack whatever it was he was glaring at.

Feeling himself lift off the ground, Rango choked on a breath of air as he was gripped tightly in a set of talons, which lifted him up and stopped him right before the jagged beak of a Golden Eagle, who was missing a section of the tip. It didn't take more than a second to realize who it was.

"You seem surprised, lizard." Said Semira, who grasped the chameleon tighter, three of her claws just digging into his flesh as she gently brushed along his cheek with the other. Her smile was long and dark. "Surely you would be aware that I would return. After all...we both know by now that I have a hard time keeping my word."


	26. Chapter 26

**Jeez, I hope this doesn't feel rushed...I have the worst feeling iv'e lost my touch when it comes to this story. I don't want to let you guys down.**

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><p>Semira pinned Rango to the ground again harshly, ignoring the furious rattlesnake for now, who was still thrashing against the handcuffs. "Now, now, little lizard, don't worry. The people of this town are far too scrawny to make a decent meal. So...you should be happy to know that, once I kill you and your comrades, of course, I will just use them as my loyal servants. And who knows? This may prove to be some of the town's more..." She looked around, smirking a bit in a confident and none too impressed manner. "Glorified days."<p>

Rango coughed some of the dust out of his lungs and rose a brow high at her. "Ya know...ya might just wanna hold off on killin' me for a bit."

The large eagle chuckled lowly, her smirk turning to one of amusement. "Oh? And why is that?" She asked curiously, lightly raking a talon across his neck, just tapping over an area where a major artery lay just under his flesh. "Do you actually think you have anything you could use against me? Your pistol will prove as useful as a pellet gun against a freight train, you helpless worm."

The sheriff leaned away from her talon as best as he could, his eyes going from it to her face as he flashed her a half grin. "Maybe so, but whoever said anythin' about a pistol?" He rested his head back and looked upside down behind him.

Narrowing her eyes, Semira looked up and gazed the same direction just in time to see the handcuffs fall limply to the ground, a flash of brown and tan shooting her way. Dropping the chameleon with a screech, she grabbed Jake by the neck as he coiled the rest of his body around her. In an instant, the two were struggling and fighting on the ground, Semira holding Jake's dripping fangs away from her throat as he dodged slashes from her other set of talons. She was surprised, impressed even, by the outlaw's strength, which was only fueled further by his rage and hate towards the eagle queen. Opening his mouth as wide as he could, making his fangs seem even longer than they were, he hissed and snarled sharply, whipping a section of his coils around the ankle of Semira's free set of talons and aiming his gatling gun at her face. It was he who had the upper hand now, and both were quite aware he could kill her at any moment.

Semira blinked up at him, quite surprised he had gotten this far, then glared at him. "It appears I need to work on my aim, considering _you _are not yet dead since our last encounter."

"Believe me, you won't have the chance to do either." He rumbled, eyes blazing heatedly into her own. "Before I blow yer thick skull to pieces, you _will _tell me this: _What _did you do to that girl?"

The eagle rose a brow at him, then smirked with a low chuckle. "Ahh...so that's what this is about. You are not doing this in defense of the town or the sheriff over there at all. You're doing this for dear, little Adina." She barely even blinked when he snarled into her face again, despite the grip she still had on his throat.

"_Tell me!_" He hissed.

Semira huffed lightly. "She is dead, you fool. Hundreds of miles from this dust bowl of a town. If the fall did not kill her, then it is only a matter of time before she bleeds to death from her wounds. If she _hasn't_ already." She narrowed her eyes, smiling wide in a satisfied manner.

Despite the sharp ache that shot through the rattlesnake's chest, Jake's expression of anger and loathing didn't waver, but seemed to deepen with the new information. Growling lowly, he shoved the end of his gatling gun to the side of her head, and fired without hesitation.

_Click!_

Jake froze and rose his brows high, looking to his gun quickly and giving it a shake. He tried firing again, then again. Empty. His gun had been cleared of all bullets, as had his ammo belt. He looked back to the queen, eyes widening in realization before beginning with a suspicious tone. "Sheriff..."

Rango turned a slightly paler color and curled his arms up against his chest, toying with his fingers as he began to chuckle nervously. "Uhhh...W-we didn't know what...state of mind you were gonna be in when ya woke up, Jake..."

"_Sheriff...!_" Jake ground out, his tone seething but also somewhat nervous as he kept his gaze on Semira's. "Where the _hell. Are. My. Bullets?_"

Paling even further, the chameleon sunk closer to the ground and swallowed hard. "They're, uh...in my office..?"

"_Sheriff! You scaly, scatterbrained __son-of-a-!_"

"I'm sorry!" Rango cried out.

The Golden Eagle's gaze began to darken more and more, and she was soon grinning from ear to ear as she laughed to herself, the grip she had on Jake's neck beginning to tighten. "My, my, my...how the tables have quite delightfully turned." He lifted her head and let out a long eagle scream, summoning for her bat minions and the others to come to her aid. Once her cry subsided, she grinned back at the outlaw in her ruthless grip before screeching loudly and thrusting her head back as a shot sounded through the air. A bullet grazing her cheek, leaving a long, red line across her face as some feathers drifted to the ground. Taken so off guard by the shot, she almost dropped Jake, but was able to throw him against the wall of Doc's building.

Shaking the pain in his bandaged side off with a slight cringe, both he and Rango looked over to see Wounded Bird standing in the doorway, disposing of an empty shotgun shell from his firearm with a clicking sound.

The tall crow looked at them and said in his deep, firm voice, "Go!"

Of course, Rango was off in an instant to get a more useful firearm from the sheriff's station, and though Jake absolutely hated the cowardice to be seen in running away, he knew better than to try taking on the eagle again without some bullets in his gun. With a frustrated snarl, he disappeared around a corner and charged after the sheriff.

"If we get outta this mess, i'ma kill you, boy!" Jake shouted to the small lizard.

Wounded Bird watched them until they both disappeared from sight, looking forward again to just barely catch one of Semira's armored bats shooting towards him, talons drawn. With surprising reflexes, he aimed his shotgun and fired another shot, stopping the bat dead in midair before it fell to the ground, already quite lifeless. He looked from the bat's fresh corpse and up again at the sound of a screech, not even having time to react as another bat slammed into him, knocking them both back into Doc's office. Wounded Bird quickly grabbed the bat by the throat as it snapped its jaws mere centimeters from his beak, barely managing to hold it back as it dug its claws into his sides to hold him still.

Tanana sat up in alarm at the sight before shoving herself off the bed, ignoring any pain she might have felt from her injuries, and dove for the bat with a feral squawk. Considering her being the only other animal in the office at that moment, and her deep care for the crow, she wasn't about to lay on the bed and watch. Digging her sharp talons painfully deep into its side and back, she waited for the bat to release Wounded Bird before flapping her wings and twisting herself, slamming the bat hard into the nearest wall with a yell. She held firm even as the winged brute's skulls bashed against the wall. "This is for Adina!" She threw the bat to the floor again and slashed it across the cheek with a few talons. "For my father!" She then managed to raise herself off the ground with a few hard flaps from her wings, lifting the dazed bat as well. "For _everything._" She twisted herself again and hurtled the bat across the room like a frisbee. It slammed into the wall and fell to the floor with a hiss, beginning to lift itself by its wings before looking up just as an array of sharp surgical tools fell from a shelf and finished it off for good.

Easing herself to the ground, Tanana grasped onto another bed nearby for support, taking a moment to catch her breath. Wounded Bird gazed at her for a long moment, his gaze akin to what might have been shock before he shook the look away. Scooting over and pulling his crutch to him, he immediately stood and went to her, placing a wing on her shoulder. "Miss Tanana..."

The Grackle took in a few long breaths of air, not looking to him before saying quietly. "Forgive me. I didn't...mean to lose control like that..."

"Nothing to be sorry for." He said calmly, gently sitting her on the bed and taking her cheeks in his wings, brushing the smooth feathers soothingly with his thumbs as he continued to stand where he was. He let his crutch fall to the floor again for the moment, his main focus on her and not his leg as he set it down. He continued with his attempts to calm her, even after she steadied her breathing and glanced up at him.

"Are you hurt?" She asked finally. He shook his head no, and she nodded. Sighing softly through her nose, she lifted a wing and stroked one of his own cheeks. "Good. I couldn't bear the thought."

"You are too kind, Miss Tanana." He said, removing his one wing and placing it over the one she had on his cheek, grasping it and caressing it in his feathers tenderly. "Must go and help the sheriff." He said.

Tanana furrowed her brows slightly in worry. "Theodore...I don't want you getting hurt. Or..." She looked away, not wanting to finish.

He took her beak lightly in his other wing and turned her gaze back onto his own, his expression soft and firm. "Cannot promise anything. But, will try to return to you safe." He said, feeling a slight twinge in his heart at her expression. Kneeling slightly, he brought her closer with his wings and locked his beak with her own, good and hard for a long moment. Though the action surprised her immensely, she hardly hesitated before returning it, wrapping her wings tightly around his neck, not wanting to let him go. She blinked away the sudden sting in her eyes and cleared her throat when he finally pulled away.

He brushed her cheek softly again as he stood once more, picking up his crutch and tucking it under his arm. "Stay low. Stay quiet." He said, locking the front door and checking out the window before heading to the back. He looked outside, listening, observing, and even smelling before glancing back at her with a nod and slipping out silently, shutting and locking the door behind him. Only then did she let a tear or two escape her, silently lifting a wing and turning down the first of the three lanterns in the office.

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><p>Jake rumbled and cursed to himself as he quite stiffly loaded his gun, having managed to squeeze himself into the sheriff's station. He sent Rango a harsh glare as the chameleon muttered anxiously to himself while loading a few rifles nearby. Much to his relief, Beans had already been there when he and Jake arrived. She herself seemed to be gearing up for the battle that was soon to come.<p>

"Where's Priscilla and the other children?" Rango asked, catching a box of bullets that the female iguana had tossed to him.

"In the school house with Miss Daisy. Rest of the townsfolk scrambled into the buildin' closest to them when that damn bird's shadow flew across town." Beans replied, loading her own shotgun with more speed and skill than Rango could dish out. "Tanana's daddy is in Willy's."

Rango rose a brow. "Why's he in there?"

"Said there weren't much he could do to help without "ingredients". In layman's terms, I haven't a dadgummed idea." She tossed Rango the loaded weapon before beginning to load another. "Have you even the slightest of our chances of winnin' this fight, Rango?"

"Not a clue. Guess that's for the Heavenly Father to decide." The sheriff said, setting the readied firearm with the others.

Jake scoffed nearby. "You put all yer faith in The Big Guy, _sheriff, _you can kiss yer ass _and _this town goodbye." He cocked his gun with a hiss. "It's all up to us now. And when the time comes, it'll be between me an' that cunt of an eagle." He looked to Rango darkly. "Her soul is _mine_."

"Yeah, well...you can have 'er." Beans replied. "Gonna have our hands full with the bat's and that falcon as it is."

"What about that other eagle?" Rango asked, putting on his hat.

Again, the rattlesnake scoffed. "He won't be a problem. Seemed pretty conflicted with alliances from the start. Either way, however...might as well kill him, too." A growl rose from his throat. "He's just as at fault as the others."

The sound of the back door suddenly opening from nearby made all three reptiles whirl around and point their firearms in that direction. Instantly, Rango calmed at the familiar sight of his deputy standing in the doorway. "Ah, Bird. Thank goodness. Had us worried there for a minute."

The crow nodded once and closed the door behind him. "Eagle and falcon are circling perimeter. Bats unseen, but hidden in town."

Rango sighed, banging his fist on his desk. "Dammit...got us surrounded it seems."

"No _shit_, sheriff." Jake spat.

"How the hell are we gonna pull this off?" Beans wondered aloud in both worry and frustration.

"Well, firstly we need to deal with all the bats. They're our biggest threat, considerin' Semira seems to have brought a whole damn colony with her." Rango replied.

"Well, we're gonna need a helluva lot of _mothballs_, then, ain't we, _sheriff!_" Jake snarled impatiently in a sarcastic tone as he gazed out of a barred window.

Wounded Bird let out a quiet, though obviously vexed grunt as he sent Jake a slight look before suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, whacking the rattlesnake on the head with his crutch. Though the blow didn't particularly hurt the rattlesnake, it _had _been quite hard. Enraged, the outlaw sent him a glare that _would _have meant instant death, but given the circumstances, he knew he would have to let it slide for now, much to his growing irritation.

"Arguing pointless. Must think of plan." The crow said, looking to the others. Rango and Beans nodded, but Jake only gave a huffy snort before looking out the window again sourly.

"Bird's right, we can't start arguin' amongst ourselves now." Rango said, beginning to pace a bit. "We need to come up with somethin' both clever and effective. Somethin' that'll give us more than just a fightin' chance."

"I agree, but what can we do?" Beans asked.

Jake paused and narrowed his eyes, which started to follow a figure that had wandered out of a nearby building and onto the street. Growling, he glanced over at the others. "Y'all might wanna pipe down fer a minute and come lookit this." He said.

Glancing at one another, the small group of animals made their way over to the window Jake was at and gazed out, their expression changing drastically at the familiar sight of Waffles nervously walking into the middle of the road, holding a small pistol in his hands.

"Waffles!" Rango yelled above a whisper.

"What is he _doin'_ out there?" Beans asked in alarm.

The answer to their question came not a few seconds later as Waffles forced a slightly braver look and stood a bit taller. "S-S-Semira!" He called out somewhat nervously, voice echoing slightly through the buildings. "I-i'm c-callin' you o-out!" He finished, glancing up at the dark clouds overhead, whipping behind him to watch his hat blow down the street as a sudden breeze lifted it off his head.

Rango and Beans rose their eyebrows in horror at his exclamation, both hardly able to believe what they had just heard.

Jake narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer with a deep growl. "Seems like somebody's already come up with their _own _little plan..."


	27. Chapter 27

**I don't really have much to say for this chapter, unfortunately. I hope y'all enjoy it, though. There aren't many more to go. **

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><p>Rango and Beans both hurried from the window and to the front door of the sheriff's station, opening it just a few inches as they looked out at the small horned toad lizard standing in the middle of the road.<p>

"Waffles! Waffles, what are you doin'!" Rango called out to him in a frantic whisper, he and Beans gesturing wildly for him to get inside when they finally got his attention. "Get in here!"

Furrowing his brows, the smaller lizard held the pistol closer to himself and shook his head sadly.

"Dammit!" The chameleon cursed under his breath, looking to Beans. "What the hell are we gonna do now?" He looked over at Wounded Bird to ask if he had any ideas, but noticed the crow was standing stock still and his eyes were shut. Raising a brow, he walked closer, almost cautiously. "Err...deputy-?"

"Shh." The tall avian suddenly hushed, eyes still closed as his brows narrowed firmly in concentration. He then opened them and looked to the window. "...She's here."

Looking to one another in alarm, Beans and Rango rushed back over to the door and peered out just as a large, and all too familiar figure landed in the street. Jake was still looking through the window, not having moved, though his expression turned more dark as his tail gave a few barely audible rattles.

Waffles stiffened slightly, shoulders hunching as he felt the brief breeze from the eagle's wings behind him. Slowly he turned around, eyes widening and scales seeming to pale as he met gazes with Semira herself. However, the queen only smiled down at him in a calm, though unnerving way. He sunk a bit lower at her gaze, beginning to tremble slightly.

"And what might this be, exactly?" She said, the slightest sense of amusement in her tone.

The small lizard's knees started to knock as he tried to stammer out nervously, "I-I..."

"Oh, come now, don't waste your time trying to explain." Said the eagle, the tip of a talon tilting Waffle's head up as she leaned in closer and smirked at him. "A brave notion, little lizard, but foolish nonetheless. Do you honestly think you would be able to take me in a fight and actually win? Hm. If your other friends could do nothing, then neither could you."

Shakily, almost in reflex, Waffles panicked suddenly and shot the pistol right at the large bird's face. However, Semira only blinked slightly as the bullet bounced off her beak and shot in another direction. Her expression unwavering, she glanced in the direction the bullet went before looking back to him, smirk widening slightly. Waffles seemed to sink lower, dropping the pistol and holding his arms closer to his chest.

Chuckling, Semira circled him lightly. "What courage... And such loyalty and devotion towards that traitorous wretch you called your friend." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "A _friend_ that would have been the very death of you, eventually. After all, young Adina _was _a snake. And i'm quite sure that you are just as aware as I am that snakes cannot be trusted." She brushed his cheek with a talon. "It would have only been a matter of time before she ate you. I, however, would _never _do such a thing."

"Y-y-yer lyin'!" Waffles cried with a flinch, fighting away the sting and moisture in his eyes as he shrugged off her talon and stepped away. "Sh-she'd never! Y-you killed her, miss...you _killed _her! A-and when she done nothin' wrong to anybody!"

The eagle let out a loud laugh. "Nothing wrong, you say? Nothing _wrong?_" She was suddenly upon the helpless lizard in an instant despite his yelp of fright, holding him to the ground with her talons tightly as her look became icy. "My actions were _justified, _you useless_ whelp._" The jagged edges of her broken beak just barely brushed his snout. "She deserved every_ bit_ of what she got. Every rip and tear I left on her flesh. _Every _scream of agony that flowed out of her throat was like the purest symphony of closure for me." She squeezed him a bit tighter as he stared up at her in sheer terror at her words. "My only regret was not waiting to see her breathe her last breath. To see the _light_ leave her eyes."

Rango, Beans, and Wounded Bird shared glances from inside the sheriff's station, Bird and Rango having gathered at another window with their weapons to try their luck with getting a clean shot at the eagle. They were stopped, however, when Jake growled at them sharply in warning.

Jake's features had turned from hateful, to just plain furious by that point. Semira's words sent another unwanted ache through his chest and a surge of rage through his body. He hissed silently at the sheriff and his deputy as he said lowly in a deathly tone, "If anyone's gonna be puttin' bullets into that bastard queen's body, they're gonna be _mine _an' mine _alone_." He snapped his gaze back outside from his window and brought his gun up beside his head, eyes narrowing sharply as he began to aim.

Despite the deep irritation the Golden Eagle was feeling, she did manage another smirk as she slid her talons lower, exposing the upper portion of Waffles' body. "It is a pity, though...you could have been quite the entertaining little addition to my new band of subjects. However...I shall spare you the pain of having to live the rest of your days knowing you could do nothing for your friend...and let you join her." She rose her free talons slowly, grinning at the pathetic whimper the smaller lizard emitted as he looked away fearfully.

Before the eagle could strike, a golden bullet shot past her face, grazing her other cheek. She let out a screech and whirled around, though keeping Waffles in her grip.

Wounded Bird and Rango blinked in surprise, glancing quickly to Jake in question, but the rattlesnake seemed quite bewildered himself as he continued to stare out the window, looking in the same direction the eagle queen was. Rango, Wounded Bird and Beans looked also, but the chameleon and the iguana saw nothing. However, Wounded Bird rose a brow at the sight of an unfamiliar rattlesnake, scales near as white as snow, coiled upright not thirty feet away.

Wyatt stared at Semira with a dark, loathsome expression. And, though the bullet seemed to have come from his direction (not to mention the ammo belt around his body, littered with even more golden bullets) he held, nor possessed any weapon that could have fired it. The older pit viper didn't even glance up as thunder rumbled overhead, his golden eyes staring intensely at Semira. "Put the lizard down." He rumbled.

Semira scoffed and smirked at him in a haughty manner. "And what will you do should I not decide to listen? Mm?" She asked, ignoring the confused look from Waffles, who could see or hear nothing from where Wyatt stood. She paid no heed to the droplets that fell onto her beak from the sky, either. "Kill me, old man?"

The old rattlesnake gave a minute shake of his head, snorting lightly. "No...because it's not my destiny to."

Scowling slightly, Semira looked down at Waffles for a minute before throwing him to the side harshly. He disappeared into a pile of crates, that of which his body immediately smashed though, sending splintered wood everywhere. Snapping her gaze back to Wyatt in distaste, the eagle said darkly, "Really now? Then, tell me...enlighten me. Whose _destiny _is it?"

There was a long pause before Wyatt's golden eyes shifted to the top of the sheriff's station as a familiar voice said calmly in a firm tone. "Mine..."

Her brows shooting up, Semira snapped her gaze in the same direction and screeched, just catching the quick movement of a black and white blur as a Black Racer vaulted from the roof with a sharp hiss and bit hard onto her face as her long body coiled around the eagle's own rapidly. Both fell to the ground and began to struggle as the rain began to fall harder.

Rango and Wounded Bird rose their brows quite high, neither of them having expected to see the female serpent again. "_Adina?_" Rango said aloud in confusion and wonder. "But...she-?" He blinked when Beans shoved between him and the crow to look outside herself, just as stunned as they were.

Jake had stiffened considerably at the sight, his brows slowly going up as he lowered his tail slowly. Any previous expression was gone from his features and was replaced with utter shock and disbelief. A familiar wave of warmth, that he had once detested, began to spread through his body at the realization of her being alive. However, he managed to shake the sudden sensations off and narrowed his eyes, hissing sharply as he quickly slammed open the door and shot outside, ready to pounce on the eagle himself. Before he could reach them, however, something struck him hard in side. The moment the middle section of his coils had left the building, three bats, having heard the cry of their queen, slammed into the rattlesnake and began to nip and claw at his scales.

Snarling, the outlaw managed to get his jaws around one of them, sinking his hypodermic needles deep into its flesh and beginning to release some of his venom. He threw it to the side and turned as another bat leaped for his throat, but was knocked away by a blast from a shotgun. Jake looked over to see Rango moving off the porch to the sheriff station, aiming his weapon at one of the other bats as Wounded Bird followed behind him. Just as Rango was about to fire off another shot to take out the second bat, a shrill screech made him glance over his shoulder and yelp as another bat dove down from the sky and towards him.

The bat raised its armored claws as it drew closer, and-

_Tong!_

From the winged creature's right, what appeared to be no more than an ordinary skillet flew out and whacked the bat in the head. It swerved with a dazed squeak and slammed into a nearby building.

Blinking, Rango looked over to see Waffles standing in front of the pile of smashed wooden crates Semira had thrown him into not moments before. The smaller lizard blinked himself and looked at his hands, beaming after a minute and looking back to Rango. "I can't believe that worked!"

Rango offered a half grin and tipped his hat slightly. "I owe ya one, Waffles." He tensed when more screeches began to echo through town, looking around as more bats began to show up. "I think we might be needin' a bit more than fryin' pans, though."

"Don't you worry none." Said a deep voice from behind the chameleon, causing him to whirl around yet again. It was then he came face to face with Wyatt, finally able to see him after having killed one of the bats attacking Jake.

Rango's face turned a slightly paler shade at the sight, not knowing who the rattlesnake was, of course. "Wh-what do ya mean..?" He stammered out nervously, not catching the confused look he received from Waffles behind him.

"I mean what I just said." The older pit viper stood up taller, towering over the two lizards. "Adina and I brought a few friends with us to even the odds for y'all a bit." He looked down the road again, in the same direction from which he had come. Rango looked as well and just about turned white from the sight that greeted him.

There they all were, 27 green, ghostly figures sitting atop their Road Runner mounts, as well as one, much brawnier figure, seated on a Javelina in the back. Each of which were still as faithful to their fallen masters in death as they once had been in life. Despite the transparent look of the undead outlaws, their mounts were much more real in appearance, despite the fact a great deal of them were nothing more than skeletons with a few hints of fur, feathers and rotted flesh here and there. With an array of war-like cries, the gang of outlaws began to charge forward as the rest of Semira's army started to join the fight now as well.

Jake, still attempting to aid Adina, who was holding off surprisingly well against the eagle despite the odds, sunk his teeth into another bat and shook the life from it as it squealed helplessly, slamming it to the ground. He was about to go for another when a shot rang out and finished the job before he could start. It was then he noticed the small army of outlaws Wyatt had brought with them, making him raise a brow high at the sight and share an equally bewildered glance with Wounded Bird nearby, who had just finished off a bat that had been going for him as well.

Snorting and shaking off the peculiar sight, having grown used to such oddities around Wyatt now, he turned his gaze and hissed at the fighting figures of Adina and Semira just down the road.

Both females had received a number of injuries from the other already, though neither were particularly bad. A few scratches here and there on Adina, a few missing feathers and bite marks on the eagle queen herself. Remembering as much as she could from what her father had taught her growing up, Adina managed to use the speed her species was known for and dodge most of the slashes and snaps from the bird's talons and beak, often delivering hard slaps of her own from her tail across Semira's body and cheeks. However, Semira, too, was known for swiftness, and managed to trick the Northern Black Racer into dodging again before snapping her beak around her body when she came forward once more. She then attempted to snap the serpent's body in two, but hissed when a few bullets struck her in the leg. Furious, she slammed Adina into the window of an old building nearby and turned to meet the attack of a familiar outlaw.

Again, Jake's attempt to bite Semira were abruptly halted when she grabbed him by the neck again with her talons, digging her others into the bandages still wrapped around his sides. Jake hissed sharply at the pain as fresh blood quickly beginning to moisten the once white cloth. He ignored it to his best ability and shot at the eagle once more, though she managed to dodge the bullets this time, shoving the rattlesnake aside roughly before he could fire again.

"Iv'e just about had _enough _of you, rattlesnake!" The eagle hissed, ready to attack him again when another set of teeth met with the back of her head, causing her to screech in pain. She growled in fury and twisted around to strike her attacker away, but trilled loudly when she felt a deal of feathers being torn from her head. She looked around and saw Adina slithering away quickly, spitting some of said feathers off to the side. Eyes narrowing sharply, she tore after the snake, swiping and snapping her beak at her, just barely clawing the end of her tail as she slipped into the old mill, or her current home. Of course, this didn't stop the eagle queen for long. She slammed through the large doors, breaking them clean off the hinges before pausing just inside. It was quiet, aside from the rain outside, which was steadily becoming heavier, and the ongoing battle down the other end of the road. She could see no sign of the serpent anywhere, but knew she was inside.

Scowling deeply, the eagle slowly stalked in further as her eyes scanned around empty crates. "Oh, you're going to try and hide from me, are you?" She asked, snorting softly. "How droll." A few floorboards creaked underneath her talons as her full weight pressed down onto them. She changed her tone to a more taunting, singsong one. "I'm going to _find you_, my dear...and once I do, I am going to make _sure _you are dead this time." She hissed, smashing a few crates out of the way, though nothing had been behind them.

Not a moment later, she heard a short whistle from above her head, looking up and screeching at the sight of Adina coiled around the rafters above, a rope held inside her tail.

"Not if _you're _the one who's dead." Adina replied coldly, snapping the rope with her jaws. A large tarp fell to the floor, revealing a very large chandelier made from hundreds of colorful bottles, ropes and metal that had been hidden underneath. It, too, began to fall, and the large eagle let out a long bird-like scream before it crashed into her, glass shattering everywhere and near burying her underneath.

Adina then flung herself to the platform above and along the front of the mill and slipped out the window, glancing up as the rain fell heavily and thunder boomed overhead. She dropped to the the muddy ground below and quickly began to slither out of town. She didn't glance back as she passed the lake, an enraged yell echoing from the building she had just escaped.

There was an explosion of wood as the eagle queen slammed through the left wall of the mill, shards of colorful glass sticking out of her now bleeding neck and back, a particularly large one embedded into her right eye. She breathed heavily as the remaining of her once rust-colored eyes nearly became overcome by red from her fury. She didn't even flinch as the rest of the mill creaked and soon collapsed into a dusty wooden heap behind her. She spread her wings and took off after the snake again with a powerful flap. Only one word was needed to describe the goal she currently pursued:

Murder.


	28. Chapter 28

**Alrighty then, here we go. Final showdown is ON. Who shall live and who shall die? Decisions, decisions...**

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><p>Despite the extra help from Wyatt and the other Devil's Angels, Rango and the others were still fairly outnumbered. Despite such, it didn't stop the town from putting up one hell of a fight. Upon seeing Waffles, Rango, Beans and a few others fending off the bats themselves, more citizens soon joined the fight. It was namely those who were most loyal to the sheriff, a majority of which were members of the old posse. Spoons, Elgin, Ambrose, Turley and a number of others as well. Various sounds echoed across town, from gunshots and yelling, to screeches and squeaks. The fur was really starting to fly, and luckily for the Dirtonians, most of said fur belonged to the bats.<p>

Priscilla and the other children watched from the window of the schoolhouse intensely, against the wishes of Miss Daisy and Delilah, of course. Dutch had already tried to sneak out the door and join in on the action with his slingshot, but he had been caught and stopped by the elder women. Now he merely watched, though with a somewhat disappointed look, from behind the window with his other friends.

"Miss Daisy?" Priscilla asked. "If we win, are we gonna fry them bats up an' eat 'em? Be an awful waste to just bury 'em, wouldn't it? And we'd save on shovels and coffins."

The old prairie dog shushed her with a look and a wave of her hand before turning back to watch as well, unable to help it.

Turley aimed and shot at a bat swooping towards him from above, his cigar, despite being soggy and unlit thanks to the rain, still clenched between his beak. He let out a muffled curse when he missed, and then another as he slipped and fell on his back in the mud. His eye widened in alarm as the bat closed in on him, lifting his wings to shield himself with a yelp as it pinned him down. Before the winged creature could sink its teeth in, a brief whistle caught its attention, making both him and the older bird look over.

Elgin cocked his shotgun and scowled slightly, aiming right at the bat's head. "Why don't ya pick a fight with someone yer own species?" He fired, muffling the bat's dying squeal with the loud blast. He walked closer when the creature was still and kicked its wing off of Turley before offering a paw to him.

The one-eyed bird blinked, not yet taking the cat's hand as he gawked up at him in surprise. "You...you saved me."

Elgin rose a brow slightly. "Yeah? And?"

"I-I just...I never thought that you'd ever..." Turley placed a wing on his chest, sniffling slightly and looking truly touched. Elgin couldn't tell if the sniffle was from fighting in the rain for too long or if the bird was actually getting choked up over this.

The cat gave off a grunt and rolled his eyes, waving it off. "Ahh, don't get all sappy about it. Ya gonna get up, or just lie in the muck? C'mon now, we ain't got all day." He said, grabbing the bird's wing and yanking him up roughly.

Amongst all of the violence and fighting going on in the street, two figures watched the goings on happening before their eyes from a nearby alleyway, making sure to stay out of sight as they surveyed the scene.

Edgar, who was still seated on his Road Runner, rose a brow and shifted his eyes over to the peregrine falcon standing next to him. His feathery fingers curled around the pistol in his holster as he pulled it out slightly. "Fight?" He asked.

Fenrir, not taking his eyes off the scene, shrugged a shoulder and rose one of his own brows, his expression dull and not in the least bit interested as he watched the fighting continue. "Mmm, run." He said simply, turning around and taking off with a few flaps. Edgar watched after him for a moment before turning his Runner and following close behind. Both fled the area at their own pace, neither planning to return to the small town anytime soon.

Fending off a particularly fat bat on his own, Wounded Bird did his best to dodge slashes and swipes from the furry animal's sharp claws. His shotgun lay to the side not ten feet away, empty and useless for the time being. He still had one item that proved to be useful in its own ways, jabbing and whacking at the bat with both ends of his crutch. Despite the aches and irritation in his bad leg, he continued putting his weight on it and stood his ground.

Though the bats rarely ever had much to say, they weren't stupid. The one fighting with Bird recognized what his crutch was and caught sight of the limb that the crow seemed to favor most. It snarled and hissed at the avian as it avoided another jab from the sharp end of the crutch before slashing with a screech, snapping it in two with a loud sound. The force of the hit made Bird stumble back slightly, his bad leg finally giving in and making him fall onto his back. He propped himself up and scowled at the bat as it loomed over him, no detection of fear present in his eyes or body features.

The bat hissed lowly, its jagged teeth mere inches from the crow's beak as its hot breath washed over his face. Slowly, it rose a claw high to strike him down, but a pale blue blast came from behind and shattered against the animal's back like ice. It hissed and screeched in pain before looking to its risen wing, which began to twitch as thick frost gathered over the top of it. Hissing, the bat backed away and thrashed itself as more frost began to form on its body, trying to get rid of it. Its actions, however, were in vain, and it wasn't long before the bat froze entirely, now stuck in a hunched position.

Wounded Bird blinked in slight astonishment, his beak open slightly before looking at the figure that had stepped around to the side of the bat's body.

Shanahan flicked a wisp of blue magic off his wing before using a leg to push the stiff bat over with a grunt. "Filthy beasts..." He muttered. Finally, he looked to the crow and offered a slight smirk. "Now i'm glad I studied desert plants and their natural effects on magic." He said, spitting a piece of chewed up cactus fruit to the side and walking closer, offering Wounded Bird a wing.

The crow blinked again, his expression nearly back to normal as he accepted the help and stood up once more, balancing now on his good leg. "Thank you." He said, offering a nod.

"No need." Said the old raven, picking up both ends of the broken crutch on the ground and looking it over. "After all, it is I who should be thanking you for taking care of my daughter." He then said something quickly in a language unknown to the crow, and with a purple flash and a sound resembling breaking wood, the two pieces of the crutch became one once again, mending it. He handed it back to Wounded Bird. Before the crow could thank him again, both turned their heads away from one another as Rango ran past them screaming, his ammo belt empty and two bats nipping at his heels. "Such formalities will have to wait, however." Said Shanahan. "We have a battle to win."

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><p>Somewhere further outside of town, a fair distance away, a familiar sleek figure slithered along the moist ground rapidly, doing her best to avoid ferocious nips and merciless slashes from her gigantic pursuer. She didn't exactly know where it was she was going, but she knew she had to get the eagle away from everyone else.<p>

Semira's undying fury towards Adina was one of the main things that was keeping her going. Though her attacks were more clumsy due to the shards sticking from her body and her freshly gouged eye, all of which continued to bleed profusely, she refused to let it slow her down for too long. "You cannot run from me forever, you impudent little maggot! When I catch you, you will _wish _death had taken you before!" She opened her beak wide and let out an ear-piercing trill.

Adina glanced back at the eagle as she continued to bolt forward on her swift coils, the rain falling down heavily on both of them. Her throat was dry and burned with each new breath she took, but she, too, refused to stop. However, she quickly changed her mind when she looked forward, her heart nearly skipping a beat in her chest as she came to an abrupt halt at the edge of a steep cliff. She looked down at the flat desert far below, which stretched out for miles. She glanced a few feet below her to her left, a dead root sticking from the side of the cliff wall catching her eye for a minute. She turned sharply as another trill sounded from behind her, letting out a choked gasp as Semira grabbed her in her talons and flung her against a large boulder sitting just at the edge of the cliff nearby.

The Black Racer felt the air leave her lungs on the hard impact, her world spinning as she slid down the rough edge, landing in the mud near the base. She lifted her head with a groan, but gasped once more when the talons grabbed her once more and tossed her aside. She landed roughly and skidded across the slick earth before coming to a slow stop. She shook the dizziness away and sunk slightly as the eagle stalked towards her once again, breathing heavily.

"This is it, Adina." She hissed, scowling heavily. "No more running, you worthless child." She paused before her, her head drawing back a bit as she prepared to strike. However, not a second before she could, a mass of dark grey and white feathers rammed into her from the side, pinning her down in the wet earth. Stunned, she looked up just as another set of sharp talons dug into her side. She recoiled in surprise at the familiar face before her. "Ragnar!"

The Harpy Eagle glared firmly down at his queen as the raindrops slid off the tip of his beak and down his smooth feathers. "Yes, you know me." He said, keeping his grip firm on the female. "I'll not stand by any longer and let you slaughter innocents for your own petty reasons."

"_Petty?_" She spat, glaring back in utter disbelief. "Ragnar! You _traitor!_" She jerked slightly to try and free herself. "Release me!"

"This is it, Semira, there is no sense in fighting. Find your sense and stop this nonsense before it is too late. You are _done_, my lady. Stop being a selfish fool and accept it." He stated, desperate to talk some sense into her before having to resort to the worst. _  
><em>

The slightly smaller predator let out a haughty laugh, raising a brow. "Done?" She shook her head. "No. Dearest Ragnar...I fear this is only the beginning." She jerked her body again, managing to slash her captor across the chest with her sharp talons, making him stumble back with a screech briefly. She then leaped at him, talons extended, but Ragnar was far from defenseless.

He blocked her attack with a wing, not worried as a few of his large flight feathers fell to the ground, near tore to shreds. He shoved Semira back and delivered a blow of his own, slashing the female across the cheek.

"Ah!" The Golden Eagle cried out briefly as she stumbled back. She lifted a set of her talons to her face in slight surprise yet again, staring at the fresh blood she had wiped from her new wounds for a moment before glaring daringly at her once most trusted ally, tucking her wing under the other in what seemed like a defensive position. "You would wound your _queen, _Ragnar?"

"You aren't my queen." He said lowly. "I would rather die now with some shred of nobility left, than to serve the likes of you for a moment longer."

Semira smirked and let out a dry chuckle. "Is that so? Well then...let me gladly arrange that for you." She said, pulling her wing out from underneath the other once again and flicking it towards him with a laugh.

The Harpy Eagle jerked suddenly, his eyes widening before he made a slightly choked sound. He looked down slowly and saw the hilt of Semira's blade sticking out from just between his right side and wing. Blinking, he looked over at Adina, who was staring at him in both shock and ever growing sorrow, before he stumbled slightly and collapsed in a heap in the mud, going still as his eyes shut.

Adina rose her tail slightly as he fell, as if to reach out to him, but let it drop once again when he became motionless. She furrowed her brows in both guilt and pity, but was jarred from her state a second later as Semira laughed nearby and looked at her again with a grin.

"Not to worry, my dear." Said the eagle, beginning to stalk towards her again. "You will be able to exchange apologies with him soon enough." Semira stopped before her and moved to grab her once again. She paused when a metallic rattling sounded from behind her. Not knowing what it was, she turned quickly with a hiss, screeching sharply when she felt something painfully latch onto her leg. She looked down just as a familiar pit viper began to release his venom into her bloodstream. Yelling in anger, she struck at him and snapped a section of his coils up in her beak, yanking him off painfully and flinging him against the same boulder she had slammed Adina against, cracking it from the force.

Jake hissed sharply on impact and cringed with a heavy growl, his reopened wounds still causing him trouble as he struggled to right himself. A crumbling sound made him look up, snarling as his reflexes allowed him to quickly vault himself away before a section of boulder fell onto any vital section of his body, but not before it landed on a part of his tail, thankfully missing his gun, but trapping him there for the time being. He growled to himself as he tried to pull it free, but looked away once again as Semira screeched at him furiously nearby.

"Now to _finish _what I started!" the eagle queen yelled, diving towards him. Her aim, however, was abruptly thrown off when Adina suddenly pounced onto her from behind, biting into her neck hard. Semira careened slightly with a shriek and slammed into the boulder herself head first, cracking it all the more due to her size. Both animals fell, though Semira was dazed from both the hit to her cranium, as well as the venom now coursing through her body.

Adina shook herself off and went over to Jake quickly, helping him move the boulder away from and off of his tail. With that done, he looked to her and grinned thinly in a coy manner, rumbling out almost affectionately, "And you said ya weren't strong."

The smaller serpent smiled lightly at him, brows furrowed softly, but before either of them could say or do anything else, a bit of movement caught their eye. They both looked over and Jake snarled when he saw Semira, now fully awake and alert, glaring hatefully at the two.

"You...will both _**DIE!**_" She roared at them, but looked up when another loud crack and a series of crumbling noises sounded from above her. A large section of the boulder began to shift and slide slightly from the rain water beginning to seep through the large crack splitting it down the middle. Too weak to really leap to safety, Semira figured that if this was her end, then she would be taking someone with her. Snarling at the two snakes, she hissed and made a quick grab for Jake, who was closest to her at that particular moment.

Seeing this, Adina glared and hissed sharply at the eagle, curling briefly before springing towards her and sinking her fangs into Semira's face. She coiled tightly around the the eagle as they both fell to the ground, only biting harder as she noticed the large shard of boulder beginning to fall towards them.

Jake's brows rose sharply, but before he could lunge forward in an attempt to grab her, the massive rock crashed down in front of him, blinding his view briefly as a splash of mud hit him in both eyes. "_Adina!_" He roared, desperately shaking the soaked dirt from his eyes before snapping his gaze to the boulder in shock. Everything was more silent now, leaving only the sound of the rain falling down around him. Shaking his head slightly, he slithered forward and slammed himself against the rock with a grunt. "No! Dammit, _no!_" He snarled, beginning a few futile attempts to try and lift the heavy rock. When this didn't work, he moved back and cocked his gatling gun, blasting off a few rounds at it, though the most he did was chip a few stones off the side. When realization finally began to dawn on him, he only stared for a few long moments before letting his tail drop to the ground, his brows slowly raising yet again and almost furrowing as a sickening pain shot through his tight chest. He stayed like this for a moment longer before closing his eyes tightly, brows narrowing as he ground out heavily, "No..." He shook his head slightly, slowly leaning forward and resting his forehead against the stone. Though his eyes stung horribly, his tears never fell. Instead, he remained as he was for the time, cursing the female serpent heavily in his mind, but more himself for failing to save her.

He continued to wallow silently in his deep anger and sorrow before he felt something warm brush against him. Opening his eyes, he slowly lifted his head once again before looking over to his left, his heart nearly catching in his throat as a pair of familiar green eyes met with his own.

Adina kept her head tilted downward, frowning at him sheepishly before saying in a quiet voice, rain water dripping off her chin, "I may not have venom, but...I can still move quick at least."

For a moment, Jake could only stare at the Black Racer in total shock at her being alive and well, her bruises and minor cuts aside, of course. However, he quickly shook himself from his state and coiled around her tightly, locking his lips to her own in a deep, near desperate kiss, and shoving her head back against his rough coils from the force. He ignored her soft, muffled sound of surprise and held onto her tighter, though was sure to be careful of her minor injuries.

Blinking slightly, it didn't take Adina long to calm slightly and return it, closing her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again when he broke it off suddenly.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, though in a more firm and irritated way rather than angry, he paused for a moment or two before saying flatly. "Yer stupid."

Adina rose a brow slightly at him before offering a soft smile and shaking her head, chuckling quietly. "Well, I missed you, too."

Jake snorted at her words, but fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, his gaze and features calmed, almost softened, as he pressed his snout heavily against her own, rumbling deeply as he flicked his dark tongue over her lips.

Adina smiled softly and and brushed his cheek with her tail, pressing her snout back before a sound from nearby made them both glance away from one another. Adina smiled wider at the sight that awaited them, but Jake narrowed his eyes again, frowning blandly when he saw who it was.

Stumbling to his feet, Ragnar cringed slightly as he pulled Semira's blade out from under his wing, where it was embedded only a few inches into his side. The tip was bloody, but not overly so as he looked it over with a hum. Finally, he glanced at the two serpents and said through a hoarse chuckle, "She never did have very good aim." Before looking to the knife again and shaking his head. Flicking his wing, much like Semira had, he threw the blade to the ground, where it stuck deep in the mud at the base of the fallen boulder, marking the new gravesite of the fallen eagle queen.


	29. Chapter 29

**This may or may not be a very short chapter, but then again, it is the final one. There's SOME smut later on towards the end, so be wary of that if you're not into that crap. I really enjoyed working on this fic and appreciate everyone who wrote all of the lovely reviews. :) Thank you, all. Maybe i'll write some drabbles of Rango with the OCs from this story, though. If anyone would want to read them, of course.**

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><p>Rango kicked one of the back paws of a bat sprawled out onto the moist ground to see if it was dead, a shotgun in his hand. The town was quiet now, and most of the bats had been terminated. Those that hadn't had already flown away. Thankfully, none of the citizens had been killed during the large battle, but a number of them were injured. The chameleon's own shirt was partially torn across the back and right shoulder, and even his vest had been damaged. The rain had stopped only moments before, and Rango glanced up as the sun attempted to fight its way through the thick clouds. He then felt a warm hand place itself on his shoulder, making him turn around to see its owner.<p>

Beans offered him a light smile, a few rips and tears in her own dress here and there, but nothing some thread and a needle couldn't fix. She brushed at a small cut on her cheek and tucked some flyaways back into her reddish brown hair before giving his cheek a kiss. "You alright?" She asked him.

He offered her a nod and a smile of his own. "Just dandy." He replied, but frowned slightly and pointed to the cut on her cheek.

Blinking in confusion, she placed a hand on her face and chuckled when she felt the cut again before waving it off. "Ain't nothin' to fuss about, hon. Won't even need stitches."

Clearing his throat, he nodded his head a few times more. "If you're sure, sweetheart. Though, ya can't stop me from worryin' i'm afraid." He said, looking past her and raising a brow at the sound of whiny blubbering nearby.

"R-rabies...rabies!" Mr. Snuggles sobbed as Shanahan looked over his right leg, where the pants had been mostly torn away. There was a deep bite from one of the bats around his shin area, leaving a bloody mess around the mangled fur.

The old raven rolled his eyes and shook his head with a sigh, slapping the distraught porcupine in the back of the head with a wing. "Pull yourself together, you walking pincushion, you aren't gonna get rabies!" He snorted before looking to the wound again. "Now keep still, I need to concentrate."

"Owww!" Snuggles wailed, holding his paws in front of him when Shanahan sent him a particularly flat look.

"I haven't _touched_ it yet..." He said.

Rango couldn't help but smirk, laughing lightly at the two before glancing over at Doc, who was seated on the steps of his office with one arm rested over a beaten bat's neck, one of the army's few survivors. He took a long swig from his flask before offering some to the winged mammal, who was panting tiredly from the fight. "Come on now, don't feel too bad fer losin'. We was handlin' guns afore any a you were off yer momma's teat."

The bat looked at the flask before wrapping a claw around it and taking a long sip.

Rapid knocking quickly sounded from the other side of Doc's office door soon after, the handle beginning to jiggle as well. Wounded Bird, who had been surveying the dead bats littered along the ground, turned to look towards the office before limping over with his crutch. His feathers were dirty and ruffled, and a part of his poncho torn, but he was perfectly fine aside from all of that. He made his way up the steps with ease before unlocking the door and opening it. He barely had time to react as a certain Grackle just about tackled him to the ground with a tight hug. Accidentally, of course.

The crow landed on his back with a grunt, but it hadn't hurt as much as one would expect. He was a tough old avian, after all. Blinking, he looked to Tanana, laying atop of him, in surprise as her eyes scanned his form over near frantically for injury.

"Are you ok? I'm _so_ sorry if I hurt you, I was just..." She shook her head, finally looking at his face and furrowing her brows lightly, asking in a much calmer tone, "...Are you ok?"

Tilting his head slightly, Wounded Bird lifted a wing and brushed her cheek with a few feathers. "Could not hurt me if you tried." He said, offering her another one of his rare smiles to reassure her.

Smiling herself, she offered a soft nod and chuckled once in her throat, obviously relieved. She brushed his wing with her own briefly before suddenly locking him in a deep kiss.

The crow stiffened momentarily when she did, blinking and casting a glance over to Shanahan nearby with his eyes before even thinking of returning it, almost as if asking for permission to.

Gawking silently at the two for a few seconds, the old raven quickly shook his feathers and cleared his throat roughly. He looked to the side and flicked his wing a few times, as if to say, 'You may proceed...' before turning his back to them, allowing them to have their little moment. After all, he had to eventually come to terms that his little girl wasn't so little anymore. Age wise, at least.

Blinking again, Wounded Bird only waited a second longer before swiftly returning the kiss. He deepened it sharply as his wings went around her to press her as firmly to himself as he could, but making sure it wasn't tight enough to hurt her. He brushed along the feathers of her back tenderly.

Waffles grinned at them from nearby, his tail wagging slightly as he held the frying pan he had thrown earlier in his hands. His shirt was a bit torn up, and he had a few nicks here and there, but he was fine. Catching some movement in the corner of his eye, the horned toad lizard looked down the road and rose his brows high at seeing the forms of two familiar serpents in the near distance, as well as a much larger figure following close behind them. Slowly, he began to grin again. "Miss Adina!" He cried, dropping the skillet with a clang and hurrying forward to greet them.

Upon hearing her friend's name, Tanana broke the kiss her and Bird had been sharing and looked over sharply, raising her brows in surprise.

Rolling his eyes upon hearing Waffles, Jake released Adina from his coils, though somewhat reluctantly, and looked away as the small lizard leaped at her.

The black snake chuckled softly with a grin and caught him in her tail, hugging him close and tucking her head over his own. "Hey, Waffles." She said sweetly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Miss Adina." He said, nuzzling her softer underscales before looking up at her. "I was afraid i'd never see ya again."

Smirking in a kindly way, she gave his head a light noogie with the end of her tail. "Oh, you guys aren't getting rid of me that easy." She chuckled, grinning thinly when he hugged her tight again. Something smooth and cold gently brushed against her back briefly, making her shiver. Setting Waffles down again, she turned and smiled at the familiar figure behind her.

Wyatt smiled at her warmly before offering a wink. "Now didn't I tell you ya didn't come all this way for nothin'?"

Adina tilted her head slightly, continuing to grin before wrapping herself around him in a hug, chuckling when he returned it a few seconds later. "Couldn't have done it without you, Wyatt." She said, looking up at him softly. "Thank you."

The old rattlesnake grinned thinly and tipped his hat, then glanced over at Jake with a smirk. "And how're you holdin' out, Jacob?" He smirked wider and chuckled when the other pit viper merely grunted and snorted at him distastefully.

The Black Racer shook her head lightly with a smirk, nudging Jake lightly with her tail before looking back to Wyatt. "So, what's next on your agenda, Wyatt? Are you gonna go off to assist another damsel in distress?" Her smirk widened slightly.

Wyatt chuckled once again and kept his smile, though it was much more calmer now. He glanced behind him for a moment, where the rest of his gang stood watch from afar, their ghostly figures standing out brightly against their surroundings. "Actually," he began before turning forward again and looking up at the dark clouds. Some of them parted, allowing golden rays of sunlight to shine down on them and various other spots in the area. "It's time for us to go."

Adina furrowed her brows slightly, confused, though deep down she had a feeling what he had meant. "Go?"

Looking back down at her again, holding his smile, he nodded once with a soft hum. "My time wanderin' this desert is done, i'm afraid. Though, I will admit that there ain't a day that's gone by where I haven't wished i'd had a second chance at life to right my past wrongs. My intentions may have been good, but that doesn't justify some of my actions." He brushed her cheek with his rattle briefly. "I do thank you, though. Fer finally settin' us free."

The smaller serpent frowned softly. "I didn't do anything. But...do you really have to?"

Wyatt stared down at her sympathetically before offering another nod. "I can't go on a ghost forever, Adina. Sure, I ain't got no worries bein' this way, but that don't mean it's all good an' fun. Been a long time since iv'e felt anythin' other than the cold that comes with death. I wanna go home now, wherever that may be."

The Black Racer tilted her head a bit and nodded softly, blinking back the sting in her glistening eyes. "I understand." She offered another smile.

"Come on now, don't get all teary-eyed." He said, smiling softly. "Tears never accomplished anything."

"I know...but they help sometimes." She replied while looking down, barely keeping the waver from her voice.

Wyatt lifted her chin again, smiling still. "Suppose I can't argue with that one." He brushed her cheek once more before releasing her finally, beginning to back up. "I'll check in on ya from time to time." He said, looking back over at Jake. "Take care of this one, Jacob. Not many quite like 'er around here."

The outlaw rumbled lowly, but did dip his head briefly, coming up behind the Black Racer and coiling himself around her again slightly. "I will. Long as she allows me to."

The older rattlesnake smirked and backed up more, looking towards the sky again, as did the other Devil's Angels. The green glow to their transparent figures slowly changed to a more golden yellow, and they began to disappear from the feet up. After a few seconds, they became nothing more than gold and white wisps floating in the air, slowly rising higher and higher before disappearing into the illuminated clouds.

Wyatt's figure remained for a few seconds more, smiling as the remainder of his gang disappeared from view before looking back to Jake and the others. His brows furrowing just a little, he gave his hat one last tip to them before he, too, dissolved into a wisp of light and joined the others. Some of the rain clouds had already gone away, leaving the town in a beam of warm sunlight.

Jake turned his gaze away from the clouds, his usual firm frown on his face, and looked at the smaller snake in his hold. "And to think, I coulda avoided all this if I had just said no to the sheriff."

Adina looked at him, tilting her head softly before nudging his cheek with her snout. "I know. I _am_ sorry for dragging you and everyone into this. It wasn't my-"

The rattlesnake rolled his eyes and shook his head as she spoke. "Ah, shut up." He said flatly, cutting her off suddenly by a brief kiss. The outlaw broke it after a few seconds and licked any of the remaining taste off his lips. He smirked down at the surprised female after a minute, grinning a thin, malicious grin. "Been a mighty interestin' month at least." He said, surprising her yet again when he took his hat off and placed it on her own head for a moment, the brim falling over her eyes. "Now that yer damned eagle's been taken care of, guess ya don't have much of a reason to stay."

Jerking her head up slightly, trying to straighten the hat with a puff of air, she finally just settled with holding the brim away from her eyes as she offered him a soft smirk of her own. "Well...I could probably think of a couple good ones." She moved her tail closer to brush along his mouth and down to his cheek. "If you'll have me, of course."

"Need I remind you again who you belong to?" He asked, his grin widening as he held her a bit tighter. "Besides, can't have ya runnin' off to fall in love with some other fool, now can I?"

"Not that you're a fool." Adina said, pressing her snout to his own again, her affectionate smirk remaining. "Stubborn and loud maybe, but not a fool. And I don't think I could love anyone else if I tried."

"Good. 'Cause yer stuck with me, girl."

"Stuck?" She said, raising a brow with a chuckle. "Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you?"

"Maybe...but if I wanted to get rid of you," He pressed the end of his gun under her throat, a cocky smirk playing at his lips. "I could. Now, you, on the other hand, can't do nothin' 'bout me."

Adina laughed lightly. "Hmm. Whatever shall I do, then?"

"Buck up an' get used to it." He grunted, flicking his tongue over her lips as his frown returned. He was just about to lean in to steal another kiss when the darker snake was suddenly knocked from his coils and to the ground by another, smaller figure. Scowling slightly with a hiss, Jake rattled his tail in irritation at being interrupted, glaring down at the bird that was now smothering Adina in her wings. "This better not become a normal occurrence fer you, witch."

Tanana ignored Jake as she near strangled the Black Racer's neck with a hug. "Adina, I could _kill _you right now after the grief you've put me through..."

The female serpent let out a few choked chuckles, grinning thinly. "Forgive me for being such an inconvenience."

The Grackle snorted and slapped her wing over Adina's snout a few times after releasing her. "Not an inconvenience...more like an occasional annoyance." Of course she meant none of it, though. Her look softened quite considerably before she nudged the snake's muzzle with her beak, getting off her finally. "You're going to give me grey feathers, you know."

Adina sat up with a soft laugh. "Well, you have quite the array of colors already. A bit of grey or white might look nice."

"You may be able to pull off black and white, but I'm not sure about me." The small bird rolled her eyes before finally offering a friendly smirk.

The Black Racer chuckled again, but before she could reply, she was scooped up and pulled away by a larger set of coils. Jake held her to himself almost possessively as he gave Tanana a slight look. "You got plenty a' time fer a happy reunion with 'er. Go find the indian or somethin'."

Adina scoffed and nudged him lightly, "Jake..."

"It's alright, Adina." The Grackle said, holding up a wing briefly. "I'll leave you two alone for now." She sent Jake a slight look and said, "You're gonna have to let her go eventually." She then turned and headed back to her father and Wounded Bird.

"Not yet..." The outlaw grunted before turning his attention back to the smaller snake in his hold, frowning lightly. "You owe me."

The Black Racer rose a brow high at him, tilting her head. "What for? Worrying you?"

"That..." He snorted. "And a number of other things. Leavin' me here with that bumblin' fool of a sheriff most of all."

Adina smirked and chuckled softly. "And what is it you want from me?"

Jake remained silent for a long moment, merely frowning down at her before his coils tightened slightly. He leaned in closer with a wide, wicked grin and nudged the underside of her chin with his gun, lifting her head slightly. "All in good time, baby girl. You'll figure it out soon enough." He flicked his tongue over her lips again before silencing her with another kiss before she could ask, rumbling deeply as he pushed her head deep into his coils.

Waffles blinked a bit at the two before looking away, grimacing slightly at the kiss. He turned when he heard Spoons and a few others call out to him from down the road for help in straightening up the town a bit. He beamed at them and cast the two serpents a final glance before turning and bounding toward them. "I'm comin'!" He called out, leaving the outlaw and his friend to themselves.

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><p>A few, much drier and hotter days passed after the entire Semira incident had occurred, and things had just about returned to normal in the old town. With the old mill now destroyed, Adina, for the time, had to stay at the mayor's. Needless to say, Jake didn't mind as much as he would have a few weeks ago, given there was far more privacy and less dust in the empty office. A number of the townsfolk had made amends with the young snake, thanks to some "fair persuasion" from Beans and Tanana, and had even offered to rebuild the mill for her. An offer Adina accepted, given that she was allowed to help with the work.<p>

The sun had only been up for an hour or so, and most of the townsfolk were still in a deep sleep. Two of them, however, were now wide awake.

An 'ok' or 'good' was all that Jake needed to hear when he asked Adina how she was feeling that morning. It wasn't long at all before he had her restrained in his thick coils, emitting lustful rumbles and hisses into her ear as he caressed his heated body against her own. Though she had barely begun to wake up, she didn't resist his actions and rolled her eyes with a soft smirk, quite easily figuring out it was her "payment" for what had happened.

This had been almost a good twenty minutes earlier of course, and both were already well into their escapade. Jake hissed sharply, his tail giving a harsh rattle as he slammed himself into the smaller serpent once again. His twin members throbbed and ached harder each time he reentered, which was starting to become a more difficult feat with her gradually becoming tighter around him. He nipped the back of her neck briefly with a low rumble as she moaned and writhed slightly in his grasp. He sensed she wouldn't last much longer at this rate and smirked heavily to himself, nipping her again as he strengthened his thrusts to a near jarring degree. A deep chuckle sounded from his throat when she cried out briefly, half in surprise and half in ecstasy. He hissed again as he felt the biting sensation of his release draw near, sinking his smaller fangs into the side of her neck and holding her tighter. He gave a few final, hard thrusts, rocking heavily against her before hilting himself when he couldn't hold back any longer.

He listened to her cry out a final time before easing his grip when the sensations began to die down. He released her neck with a heavy pant before licking at the marks he had left in her flesh. Sluggishly, they both untangled themselves from one another before Adina settled into the center of his coils tiredly, a quiet rumble of sorts welling up from her chest.

Jake laid his head down across her back and let his eyes slip shut, a satisfied smirk on his face. He chuckled lowly after a minute. "Betcha regret tellin' me yer fine now."

"No, actually." She replied in a groggy tone, hiding her head under a section of his tail to shield her face from the morning sun pouring in the window. "I think I enjoyed it almost as much as you did."

He chuckled again, lifting his tail from over her face and sliding his head in front of her own to block the sun. "Almost?" He asked, lifting her chin slightly with his gun. "Sounded to me like it was more."

Adina smirked lightly and chuckled as she gave his face a weak shove away from her own with her tail. "You decide how much." She closed her eyes. "I'm sleeping."

Jake smirked widely with a low rumble, licking her lips briefly before dragging his tongue further down her coils to begin the process of cleaning up, as it were. He had barely gotten past her middle when he heard the faint sounds of knocking downstairs, from the first floor. Narrowing his eyes, he instantly scowled and refrained from yelling down to whomever it was to go away. He growled to himself and moved away from the smaller snake, not bothering to wake her as he slipped out of the office doors and down the stairs. The unfinished theater hadn't been touched in days, much to his delight, and he figured if that's what someone was their for now, they had made a grave mistake. Cocking his gatling gun, he threw the doors open as another series of knocks sounded and snarled, "_What?_" He paused, however, when he came face to face with...not an animal's face at all, but the base of pale, glossy coils. Following them up, he drew back slightly in both irritation in surprise at the familiar figure smirking down at him. "The _hell _you doin'?"

Chuckling heartily to himself, the albino rattlesnake tipped his hat before saying in his usual warm tone, "Mornin', Jacob. I believe standin' here is what _i'm_ doin'. Judgin' by the smell of you, it's not to hard to figure out what _you _were _just_ doin'." Wyatt chuckled again.

The outlaw scowled and rumbled heavily, raising his tail to shoot the old snake for the hell of it, but paused when he received a serious, almost concerned look in return. Wyatt had grabbed his tail quite quickly in his own and pushed it to the side slightly, away from him. It was then he noticed the albino's golden bullets and gun belt were gone.

"I'd prefer if ya didn't point that thing at me anymore, Jake. It's a bit early fer accidents just yet." Wyatt said.

Jake scoffed lightly, drawing back in confusion. "The hell you care for? Yer dead." Smirking once again, the older rattlesnake was about to reply when another familiar face appeared beside Jake.

Adina, having heard the commotion and come down, peered out from behind the door and rose her brows high. Her green eyes seemed to glint in the sun as she grinned at the figure before them. "Wyatt." She said happily, quickly slipping out and giving the older snake another hug. She smiled even more when his gentle chuckling greeted her, but then she paused, blinking. Something was definitely different with him, and it took her a few seconds to realize. His coils were warm. Confused, she pulled away and looked him up and down, tilting her head. "Wyatt...?"

The large pit viper grinned down at her thinly, his eyes still gold but with a few tints of brown around the center. "Surprise." He said.

Adina blinked again before realization suddenly hit her. "Wait...you're...? You're _alive_?" She said, drawing back in astonishment.

Jake drew back himself, his own brows going up slightly. "Wha?"

Wyatt laughed lightly, his grin wide as it could be. "Quite." He said, lifting his tail and showing a small cut near the base of his rattle. "Slithered over a piece of glass on my way here. And it _hurt_. Ain't that somethin'?" He laughed again, obviously quite happy himself.

Ignoring Adina's own laugh of joy, Jake pushed forward and shook his head. "Now, hold on a minute..." He growled, poking the larger snake in the chest with his tail roughly, as if testing for himself. "Exactly how long is _this _fer?"

The albino rattlesnake chuckled down at him, offering his equivalent of a shrug as Adina hugged him once again. "Well, i'm 63 now, not countin' the years I were dead, of course. I'd say about...oh, 25 more years or so. Give or take."

For a long moment, Jake only stared at the rattler long and hard as he processed the idea in his mind. He paid no attention to the other two now as they began to discuss a few various things, including what his first meal should be after over a century and what he was going to do with the time he had left. After another long moment, he seemed to sink down heavily on his coils as a flat look appeared on his face. "...Fuck."

~ Fin ~


End file.
